To Thine Ownself Be True
by Zaira Fire
Summary: Set seven years in the future. Meet Melinda Hastings, the studious, geeky, book nerd who meets Hiro Hamada while working as a janitor at the Tadashi Hamada Hall.
1. The First Time

**_Hey everyone! This is my first fan fiction, so I hope you like it! This is the only time I'll say that I don't own Big Hero 6. Duh._**

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_Dear Mrs. Killian,_

_Thank you so much for this extra credit opportunity and for the chance to let me explain why I'm failing your class. Failing creative writing. Huh. Who would have thought? This report/memoir format seemed to work really well for me, thank you for the suggestion. I hope this makes up for all of my screw-ups._

_Thanks again,_

_Melinda Hastings_

**The First Time**

This is the story about two people who fall in love, so much so that it distracts that girl from her classes until she flunks creative writing (almost). This is the story of a girl who messes everything up. This is my story.

The first time I met Hiro Hamada, I wasn't having a good day. It was the second week of working at the robotics college down in San Fransokyo, half an hour from my homely little town of Sona. I did janitorial work in the Tadashi Hamada Hall, on the second floor, where all the offices and teacher labs were. My partner had failed, once again, to come. Sugar Brooklyn was an irresponsible air-head. Why she'd signed up when she only came to work for an hour a day, I had no idea. I had signed up for the quick money, though I was slowly regretting the decision to just get a normal job like everyone else.

That morning, Sugar had actually come, five in the morning (an hour late), and had taken out the garbage before claiming that she had things to do. Six o' clock in the morning. I rolled my eyes, and like the nice person I am, let her go.

So. Recap of that morning. I woke up at 4 in the morning, cleaned until about six-thirty, and then sat down to eat an apple that I didn't want. I was exhausted. The night before, I'd taken four hours to clean up since Sugar hadn't bothered to come around, and I was basically dead on my feet. It didn't help that it was raining outside and that Cody, my boss, had yelled at me this morning for the terrible job I'd done in the bathrooms last night. "The staff expects quality, so give it to them," he'd told me. I nodded meekly, resenting Sugar for her laziness.

Back to the apple. It was gross. I don't like apples, especially at six-thirty in the morning. And when a cute guy walks in, when you're in the middle of a bite, that disgust turns to hate. Let me tell you, you cannot eat a whole apple attractively, not that I looked attractive that early in the morning without make-up to speak of and my dirty brown hair tossed into a messy bun on the top of my hair and my black-framed glasses perched on my nose.

Said cute guy after he walks to the mini-fridge and grabs a coke before sitting down across from me, "Good morning." He seemed so cheerful. Who could be so happy this early in the morning?

"Good morning," I muttered around the chunk of apple in my mouth. I swallowed, "Getting an early start?" I stared woefully at the rain pounding the glass outside.

"Yeah, I've got papers to grade, a lecture to prepare, projects to get started on…" He yawned and stretched his arms. "Finals are coming up and I'm falling behind."

"You're a teacher?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."

"But you're so young! What are you, 20? 21?"

My incredulous questions seemed to amuse him. "I'm Hiro Hamada," he extended a hand to shake. "And I'm 21. You are obviously new here. What's your name?"

"Melinda Hastings. Hamada, like the Hall?"

Hamada nodded. "Tadashi Hamada was my brother." Grief seemed to cloud him for a moment. I bit my lip, resenting my curiosity. "What are you studying?"

I blinked, confused at the question for a moment. My brain was taking way too long to process things, apparently. "Oh… oh! I'm not actually a student here. I'm just working here during the summer, earning money before I go back to school in the fall."

"Ah," he popped open his coke. "I was wondering why a student would be up here. I was trying to get around to asking why without sounding rude." He took a swig of his drink. "So what do you do?"

"Hmm?" I was completely out of it for a second before I heard the question. Stupid brain. "Oh, I clean this floor up every morning and night."

Hamada cocked his head, "How does that work? Do you even sleep?"

I sighed. "Not really. Especially when your partner doesn't feel the need to show up and do her share of the work." I took a bite of my apple.

"Everyone here seems to have the craziest hours. Including me." He smiled at me and stood up. "It was nice meeting you Melinda."

"You too."

"See you around."

"See you around," I said softly, smiling at his back.

It wasn't until later, that my best friend Sophie told me that Hiro Hamada was the founder of _the _Big Hero 6. At that point in time, after I'd slept for most of the morning, I smiled dreamily at my ceiling, savoring the memory of his smile. And those brown eyes. I didn't expect to see him again.


	2. Rain, Rain, Go Away

_**Second chapter! Yay! This ended up being a lot longer than I thought it was going to be... I hope you like it! Please review!**_

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_The surprising thing about that little interaction was that it happened again. And again. And a couple more times after that. We became friends. Here's a little taste of what I mean. –Melinda Hastings  
_

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"What are you reading?" Hiro startled me out of my thoughts as I gazed intensely at the book I held in my hands.

I looked up, a grimace on my face. "Frankenstein. By Mary Shelley."

"Why?"

If he'd been anyone else, I would have told him to shut up so I could keep reading. Elizabeth was in trouble… but those brown eyes, and the fact that he seemed interested… "Because I want to."

"Why?"

"Well aren't we in a curious mood this morning," I teased. "Hasn't anyone told you not to interrupt someone who's reading?"

"No…" He smiled and took the book from me, bookmarking my page before turning to the back. "This stuff is crazy, why would you read it?"

"Crazy? Why would you think that?"

"It's about a Frankenstein guy who is brought to life, his body is sewn together from different parts… It doesn't make any sense at all. Why would you want to bring the dead back to life?"

A small part of me groaned, and another part gave a tiny smile. "Now why would we want that?" I asked teasingly. "Ever heard of CPR?"

"That's completely different."

I shook my head, "Not really. You're jolting the body back to life, aren't you? Same principle. It's called Galvanization."

"I know what it's called," he said, irritated. "But you can't just bring back something that has already been dead for a long time."

On to the next point. "This was made in the 1800's. And it is classified as horror."

"Real scary," Hiro snorted.

I raised an eyebrow, slightly offended at his tone. "Yes. The fact that Victor Frankenstein, not his creature, mind you, came to life and eventually killed off all he loved because he was too disgusted by the work of his own hands… yes. I'd find that terrifying."

The science professor seemed startled at that. "What did you say?"

"Hiro, you've never read Frankenstein, have you?"

His eyes went to the floor. "I seem to remember skipping that part in Senior English."

"Oh no, you didn't go to spark notes, did you?"

He rolled his eyes. "No. But I barely passed English; I was known for my science and math grades, not what I wrote and read for a silly class."

I outright glared. "English isn't silly. You're speaking it right now."

"But-" He threw his hands in the air. "I can't win this argument, can I?"

"No you can't." I tucked my book away. "I can't believe the great Hiro Hamada barely passed English."

This earned me a glare. "After you're done working, I'll show you why I think English is silly."

I raised both of my eyebrows this time. "Bring it on."

* * *

I finished my shift quickly, hurrying through all that Sugar had missed on her way out. Hiro was waiting for me in the break room, leaning against the table, a gleam in his eye. I folded my arms. "Well? What did you want to show me?"

He stood up and led the way downstairs and out the door. The sun was shining, or I guess streaming, through the skyscrapers of San Fransokyo. It was beautiful, but I missed the way everything lit up after the suns left the shelter of the mountains. _That_ was a sight to see. Hiro let me into the robotics section of campus; it was made of all glass, shaped like a giant… not quite sphere. I bet he had a word for it; not me.

He opened a door. Projects, at least I think they were projects, were scattered all over the place. People were up and already working on said projects. Things whizzed by, dinged, looped around. It was a mess.

Hiro turned to me, a grin on his face. "Well?"

I scrunched my eyebrows together. "What?"

"Don't you see it? The potential, the energy, the power?"

He seemed so excited. I didn't really want to burst his bubble. "I… don't."

I did it anyway. Why was I always so cruel? But I had to be honest with him. He frowned at me, confused. "You don't?"

"What's going on here?" Someone came up to Hiro and whacked him on the back, sending him forward. "New student?" The guy grinned really big at me and took my hand, shaking it up and down as if his life depended on it. I quickly took my hand back. "Welcome to nerd school!"

I raised an eyebrow at that, and shot Hiro a look. He sighed at me and took my arm. "I'll tell you later Fred." He turned to me. "Let's go through here." We entered a slightly cleaner lab, though not by much. I heard a last remark from Fred, something about Hiro's new girlfriend. I colored at that, suddenly conscious that we were alone together.

"Is this your lab?" I asked, tucking a piece of my flying hair into place behind my ear.

"Yeah, it is." He seemed troubled by my last remark.

"I'm sorry about what I said before," I blurted out, blushing all the more for it. "I'm just- I've never been much of a science-y person. At all."

"So you didn't see anything out there…" He still didn't understand.

So I went farther than that. "I saw some cool things out there, but it's all just a mess to me. I don't know how anything like that works. I've never known how things fitted together. I barely passed college Biology with a C. And I've never really understood why you would want to-" I paused. "Now I sound like a hypocrite; I know science is useful, I really do. I just don't understand it, like you don't understand English."

"I can't believe the great Melinda Hastings barely passed biology," Hiro smirked, his ego seemingly back in place.

I crossed my arms, a glare barely masking the smile on my face. "I deserve that."

* * *

_Then there was the time when…_

* * *

Hiro reached for his ritual coke and pulled it out; the can slipped from his fingers and fell on his sandaled toes. I started to laugh when he shouted and fell on his butt, the coke rolling a foot from the scene of the crime.

There was a tiny mechanical sound and a faint beeping and inflation noise coming from Hiro's back pocket. He pulled it out and a miniature Baymax tried walking in the air. He and his holding cell were attached to a key chain. "Ooh," I cooed involuntarily. I don't usually 'coo' period. "He's so cute!"

Hiro stared at it, a growing smile on his face. "It's only a prototype, barely that even. I wasn't sure if it worked or not."

"He works," I observed wryly. "So he's a more portable version of Baymax?"

"That's the idea. He's not as intelligent, he can't learn anything new and has simpler codes entered in. It's for everyday use, for those who can't afford or don't want the full-sized Baymax," he turned to the mini-Baymax. "I am satisfied with my care." The little robot closed itself in the holding cell and Hiro pocketed it. "It has a lot of kinks to fix, a lot of glitches to find, unfortunately."

"It's a great idea," I said genuinely. "Good for klutz's like me."

His brown eyes met mine. "And me," he stood up and grabbed the fallen drink. "Well I've got to go. See you tomorrow?"

"Probably. See you later."

He left with a hand waving in my direction, his steps echoing as he ran down the stairs.

Sugar came in, a hand running through her thick blond hair. She looked beautiful, even at six o' clock in the morning. "Who was that?" She asked, she yawned, as if she wasn't interested.

"Just a friend."

"A cute one," she observed with a smile on my face.

My cheeks heated up. "You are late again, Sugar."

"Yeah well, traffic was terrible, I woke up late, yada yada."

I decided to ignore her the rest of the day.

* * *

_Then of course the time when he took me home. Now before you get ahead of yourself, let me explain. It was a dark and stormy night…_

* * *

Thunder clapped loudly, echoing through the streets of San Fransokyo. Lightning hit all of the lightning poles that stood atop every building to keep from burning down during an electric storm. I hated thunder and lightning. I hated rain. Most of all, I hated San Fransokyo in the rain, driving through while water sluiced across my windshield. I hated getting out and getting soaked instantly, then getting yelled at by my boss for dripping puddles on the clean floors.

Most of all, I hated it when my car broke down in the middle of this particular rainstorm.

The night at work hadn't been all bad. Sugar had decided to ditch again, no surprise there. I had actually talked to Hiro that night, a surprise. He had fallen asleep on his desk and when I opened his office door (unbeknownst to me, seriously, that he was in there) to get his trash, I decided to do him a service and wake him up. I'm not quite certain that I really helped him at all; I like to think so, but he hurried away so fast that I didn't get a chance to ask him if he was going to go home and get some rest. I'd noticed the bruises beneath his eyes as of late. He was tired.

I got the feeling that he wasn't going home for a while because he shuffled some papers together and skipped out of the building. I saw him run to the robotics building. I huffed angrily. Of course he went there. That place was his first lover; he wouldn't take care of himself at all.

So when my car decided to break down, my only option was to find Hiro Hamada and ask his advice on what to do with my car.

"I can't see anything in this rain," he told me. "It's too dark out and we're both already soaked to the bone. I'll take you home and then look at it in the morning."

I drooped. I was ready to cry. Home was a good thirty minutes away, and I knew the only thing Hiro drove around was a motorcycle. Why did my stupid car decide to let me down right _now_? It wasn't fair. I was cold and tired and miserable. "That might be a problem," I said quietly.

"Why?" He led me by the arm, out of the rain so we could talk.

"I live in Sona. I'll just call my dad." There was a clap of thunder, almost directly above us, it sounded like. I jumped and tears swam in my eyes. I _really_ hated thunder. _Please don't leave me alone here,_ I begged Hiro silently. I blinked back my weakness and turned away, searching for my phone in the folds of my purse.

"I live with my aunt close by; you can stay the night. Don't make your dad get out of bed, it's late." He checked his watch. "C'mon, it's only a five minute drive."

We walked to the other side of the parking lot and he helped me climb onto the motorcycle, helmet firmly in place on my head. He revved the engine and we went tearing off. I don't know what was more terrifying, the thunder, or the fact that we were slicing through the rain like a bullet, and the only thing keeping me on the bike was my arms wrapped in an iron grip around Hiro's waist.

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_**How was that? I'll try to update within a week of each update. Thanks for the support guys! And remember to review!- Zaira**_


	3. Promises

**Yay! Chapter 3! Wow, these keep getting longer and longer. I don't know why, but this chapter was eating at me today/tonight. I hope you like it! Next chapter is going to be even better! Please review!**

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**_Promises_**

"Hey Dad," I said quietly into the phone. "I'm sorry I'm calling so late."

My dad's gruff tone was sleepy, definitely grumpy. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"My car broke down," I said, wincing. He hated the old piece of junk, but it was _my_ piece of junk. I'd bought it with my own money; the insurance money itself almost killed me.

"Melinda, what did I say about-"

"I know, I know. You don't have to come down, okay?"

"I have to," he said. He sounded a lot more awake now than before.

"No, no you don't. A friend of mine took me to his house. I'm staying the night. He tried to take a look at my car tonight, but it's poring over here, and he couldn't see a thing."

"It's raining pretty badly over here too… Did you say _he_?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping there would be no explosions tonight. "He's just a friend, Dad. There's nothing going on, promise. And he lives with his aunt. I barely know him Dad. It'll be okay. Don't worry. I'm not stupid." I held my breath, waiting for his answer. I was _not_ telling him that the only spare bed was in Hiro's bedroom. True, it was sectioned off by two dividers, and it wasn't like we were dating… but. Dad didn't need to worry about it. Ever.

"You are so dead when you get home tomorrow," he growled, and hung up.

I breathed a sigh of relief and set my phone down on the nightstand. It was a miracle that it hadn't been waterlogged, unlike the rest of my purse. Like the rest of me.

When Hiro and I had walked in, we were dripping, pools of water puddling on the tile floor. Hiro's aunt Cass took one look at us and handed us a couple of towels before listening to Hiro's explanation. When he finished, his aunt turned to me with a big smile and sparkling eyes. "Welcome to our humble, if messy, abode. I have some spare pajamas you can borrow tonight. Hopefully your clothes will be dry in the morning."

I thanked her when she brought back a small stack of clothes, and she shooed us upstairs. "Go take a warm shower before you catch cold." She smiled at me. "What was your name? I'm so forgetful sometimes. Names are the worst."

"Melinda. Melinda Hastings," I supplied.

"Just bring your wet clothes downstairs after your shower, Melinda. We'll put everything in the dryer before you go to bed, alright?"

"Thanks," I said again, and followed Hiro upstairs.

I was expecting a narrow hallway with two doors and a bathroom, not a loft sectioned off into rooms with a wide, open living and computer space. Posters, paper, and mechanical doodads were everywhere. I stood awkwardly in the center of the controlled chaos, not really knowing what to do.

Hiro cleared his throat, gesturing to a made bed on the right side of the room. "This will be yours for the night, I guess." He moved the divider until there was just enough space to slip into the sleeping area. "And all the privacy you need."

I didn't know what to say, so I said thank you again.

"Do you want to take a shower first?"

"Ah, um no," I said. I was intruding enough as it was. "I'll go second."

He nodded and slipped into a connected bathroom.

Holy awkward. I ducked behind the divider and shucked off my clothing, patting myself and my goosebumps down. I'd thought it kind of odd that Cass had snuck some underwear in-between the pajama shirt and bottoms, but I was suddenly grateful, realizing my own were soaked through and through. Unfortunately, I would have to keep my own wet bra on; I wasn't going without it in front of Hiro. No way. I snuggled into the warm t-shirt and sweats before hunkering down to wait for Hiro to get out of the shower.

The water shut off and a couple of minutes later, he came out, toweling his hair dry. "It's all yours," he said with a smile, and I practically skipped in, anticipating the warmth.

My shower was short, but deliciously smooth on my freezing skin. When I got out, I put my clothes on and tried to rake my fingers through my damp hair. It didn't work so well.

I opened the door, steam billowing out behind me. Beneath the soapy smell of shampoo was the warm aroma of Chinese food. I practically started salivating when I saw the meal laid out on a tray near where Hiro was sitting.

He looked up and smirked, "Hungry?"

I nodded and sat down next to him, picking up the tray and setting it on my lap. I picked up my fork and lifted it over the orange chicken when I stopped.

"I know it's just heated up leftovers, but it's not too bad," Hiro teased.

I cringed at the image I had of myself, sitting next to him. The greedy intruder, the ungrateful intruder. Well, I could be grateful. "Hiro, thanks for taking me in for the night." I paused before pushing on, talking fast so he wouldn't interrupt. "Thanks for the food, the bed, shower, everything. I really appreciate all you and your aunt have done on such short notice." I breathed in, readying myself to explain how sorry I was for barging in on him like this. It was embarrassing. I hated feeling indebted to people.

Hiro interrupted my oncoming montage. "You're welcome Melinda. Anything for a friend. I'm glad you weren't stuck all night at the school."

The idea was horrifying and hilarious. I grinned. "Me neither." I took a bite of the chicken.

* * *

_Somehow, we fell into easy conversation again. I always liked that we could do that. The food was delicious. I was warm, happy to be in his company, if slightly embarrassed that I was there at all, and just plain glad that my dad wasn't blowing a gasket. Yet._

* * *

I followed Hiro downstairs to put our dishes away and get a drink of water (and give Cass my sopping wet clothes to put in the dryer) before going to bed. We were creeping back upstairs when a photograph caught my eye. I closed my mouth around a laugh that bubbled up my throat. "Is that you?" I stage-whispered, pointing.

Hiro turned and took a closer look at the photograph. His straight mouth curled upwards and he shook his head. "That's my brother, Tadashi."

I leaned closer; Tadashi was working at a table, his head turned toward the camera with a laughing grin creasing his face. The only difference between them it seemed was their hairstyles. "You look a lot like him," I commented.

Hiro seemed pleased at that. "He was the more responsible one."

I covered my mouth, hiding another laugh. "I can believe it." My eyes moved to the photograph next to it. A laughing woman with light brown hair and warm brown eyes was at the center, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. A tall, Japanese man had his arms wrapped around her waist, kissing her temple. They were in love, and so young. "Your parents?" I nodded at the picture.

"Yes. I'm in this one over here," he tapped the frame and I took a step up to look at it. In the woman's arms was a tiny bundle; Hiro's eyes were closed, his mouth open in a yawn or a cry, it was hard to tell. "I don't remember them. They died when I was three; Tadashi was seven, he always talked about them."

I stood frozen, staring at a toddler Tadashi. I was afraid that if I said anything, or even moved, I might not get another chance to see Hiro this way. "It was a freak accident," he explained. "The other driver had a heart attack, colliding head on with my parents. We were at home with a babysitter." My eyes watered, hearing his voice break through every other word. I heard the questions. The hurt. "I think that's why Tadashi created Baymax, to help people in need.

"Then Tadashi died. I was a mess." He huffed, embarrassed at the memories. "He was the only family I had, besides Aunt Cass. It took me awhile to realize I still had people who loved me." He sighed and looked me straight in the eyes. His own widened when he saw the two tears streaming down my cheeks. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I don't know why…"

"Don't apologize," I sniffed, and wiped my face on my sleeve. "I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to share something like that with me."

He caught my gaze again, holding it this time. "That's what I like about you," he said after a moment. "You don't judge. You don't expect me to be perfect, and you listen. It's been a long time…" he trailed off.

I gave him a small smile, "As long as you don't judge _me_; and definitely do not expect me to be perfect, I have my weaknesses too. But I'll always listen."

"Maybe I've been teaching too long," Hiro sighed and gave his head a shake. "I mean, I'm still young, but people expect me to be able to handle _everything. _With you, I can be myself, not Hiro Hamada the professor, or Hiro Hamada the superhero, or Hiro Hamada the-"

"Wait, what?" I cut in. "Superhero? You might be giving yourself a little bit too much credit there Hamada; Baymax was awesome, but-"

This time he cut in. "You don't know?"

I felt like I did the time he took me into the labs. Stupid. "Know what?"

He grinned, nice and bright. "You don't know! Then there's no way I'm telling you."

"What? You were an actual superhero? Come on, it's not every day… okay, just hold it. Tell me. Now." I crossed my arms. Had I heard of him? My best friend was such a hero nerd, why did the name seem familiar to me? Why couldn't I place him?

He rolled his eyes. "No way."

"Yes way," I almost yelled, before realizing that there was another person in the house. "Yes way. Please?"

He groaned. "Just don't change your mind about me, okay?"

I nodded, and followed him upstairs. He opened the door to his closet and I was hit by the amount of color. Pictures plastered the door, I looked at the photographs. There seemed to be four, five? people surrounding him in the pictures. He was young, probably fourteen or fifteen at the time. He was also happy. I was slightly jealous at the short, dark haired girl he was smiling at in one of the pictures. Slightly.

Hiro tugged me to his computer. "This is Big Hero 6."

The name sounded a bell in my head, a little one. "Big Hero 6? It's kind of a weird name, don't you think?"

"The public named us, otherwise we might have been known us Fred's Angels," he rolled his eyes and pointed to a guy holding a monster head beneath his arm, tucked against his side. He was a younger version of the guy I'd met at the lab that one time. "There's Go-Go, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Fred, Baymax, and me."

"You were actually a superhero?"

"I'm surprised you didn't know. I mean, you know Baymax, how did you not know me?" He seemed honestly surprised, not just egotistical.

"Everyone knows Baymax, Hiro," I said. "And how long ago was this, six, seven years? I was living in New York then. The Avengers still run rampant all the time. Thor's practically immortal, you know."

"I guess it was a long time ago. Seems like just yesterday."

"But… I did see something about Big Hero 6 in the newspaper the other day. Are you still…"

Hiro shook his head. "No. The first couple of years, just flying on Baymax's back were exhilarating. The fame, the fun, the fact that I was saving people was the best part. Then I realized that I wanted to teach, that I wanted to keep learning. Being a part of Big Hero 6 was taking away from that. So I retired. It took a lot of time to tell everyone my decision, but I'd been keeping an eye on a kid in the labs. He was amazing; smart, knowledgeable, everything he needed to be.

"I…passed on Baymax to him. Reese Forian is his name. I felt like he needed Baymax more than I did; I had to stop relying on him, move on from what he meant to me, let go of the past." He paused for a second, grief clouding him again. "He was my link to Tadashi, but I knew that my brother wouldn't want me to be dependent on his robot." He smiled, his eyes turning to me again. "I do visit every once in a while though, fly him above San Fransokyo where the air is fresh. I love flying more than anything."

I could just imagine it, San Fransokyo far below the sky. "Maybe… do you think that I could…" I didn't know how to say it, but he caught on instantly.

"I'll take you some time, definitely."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

_He continued to tell me stories of their adventures, of the villains he'd beaten, of the times he and his friends had spent together. It was a life out of a dream, that's for sure. But I knew he had it rough, more so than anyone else. I just hoped that… well. I didn't hope too much. Hiro Hamada was a good friend, and I didn't want that to end. It was late, or early, before we decided it was time for bed, and even then, we were both resistant. –Melinda Hastings_

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**Tell me what you think about my background info! There will be more to come, very soon.**


	4. Early Morning

**Thanks everyone for the amazing reviews! You guys are the best! Congrats to Big Hero 6 for the Academy Award! And just in time for the movie to come out on DVD and Blu-Ray! I can't wait to buy it and watch it again! Please please pretty please tell me how I did on this chapter. I hope I didn't bore you to death or anything. This chapter wasn't planned, just wrote it straight out. That was scary. I hope you like it!**

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**_Early Morning_**

"Go away," I mumbled to the hand on my shoulder. It was early, I could feel it; my inner clock hadn't been completely turned off since school let out a month ago.

"Melinda," came a whisper this time, with a slightly rougher shake.

I turned onto my back and peered into the half-darkness, a lamp turned on in the computer room. Hiro was standing above me. My hand unconsciously went to the hem of the blanket and pulled it up to my chin as I propped myself up on the mattress. "Hiro?" No wonder I'd been having weird dreams. My body didn't like sleeping in other beds.

"I'm leaving for school, though I should be back at around nine. I put my number in your phone, if you need me. Aunt Cass is downstairs if you need her. Go back to sleep," he slipped out of the makeshift bedroom and the lamp clicked off.

I drifted back to sleep until a shaft of morning light hit me square in the eyes. I squinted against the sunshine at the clock; five-thirty. I groaned, and turned on my stomach, wanting some rest, but realizing that I wasn't going to get it. When had Hiro left? It had been dark then.

I sat up, slinging the comforter to the side, and picked up my phone. There was a text from Hiro, rehearsing everything he told me this morning. I smiled and set that aside.

There was a clanging downstairs, right below my feet, and then a clamor of footsteps coming up the stairs. I peeked out behind the divider, seeing Cass. Flour and sweat glistened on her skin, her forearms dusted with the white dust. She saw me and smiled a little bit. "Did I wake you?"

I shook my head. "Just the sunlight-"

"Good, I need you downstairs. Now." She spun on her heel, then turned around, and as an afterthought said, "Your clothes are on the bottom step, hurry and get dressed."

I nodded, confused, and followed her down the stairs until I found my pile of clothes. I rushed back upstairs, the need for rushing was very evident in her brisk manner, and dressed myself. I ran my fingers through my hair, snagging too many snarls, and went downstairs. The banging of dishes could be heard from what I realized was a kitchen, and I entered. "Cass?" I asked, uncertainly.

Her head whipped around, "Shoes! You need shoes in here!"

I jumped to it, grateful that they had dried during the night, mostly. I entered again.

"Hair up!"

I pulled my long hair into a ponytail, then a bun, wrapping four ponytail holders to keep my long hair in check.

She nodded with approval, and then pointed to the sing. "Wash your hands and then we can get started."

I scrunched my eyebrows together, but did as I was told. Cass started to talk when the water started to run. "I'm sorry about the rush, but the café is going to open in an hour and my helper-slash-waitress bailed this morning. You'll help?" It was barely a question.

I bobbed my head, rinsing the suds off of my fingers. "I've worked a few waitressing gigs, though I've never baked or-"

"Fine, fine! Who am I kidding, I'm desperate!" She threw her hands in the air and laughed, a surprisingly jolly laugh that made me smile in return. "I need you right now Melinda. I'll handle the doughnuts for now. I made a bunch already, but they go so quickly." She turned to another counter, "You will decorate."

"Decorate?" Icing was my secret nemesis, whenever Mom made sugar cookies, I avoided the task of spreading the icing like the plague. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Well it's the only idea. There are pictures above the counter, for the type of cookie you will be decorating. Just go slow. You'll be fine," she tried to be reassuring, but her attention was on the vat of oil, tending to the doughnuts.

We spent an hour in silence, soft music winding its way from the stereo in the corner. I hummed along, glancing every so often at one of the pictures on the wall, teaching me how to decorate that particular cookie.

"Take a _slightly_ bigger helping of icing," Cass sidled up next to me. "There you go. Perfect."

I smiled, and put a few chocolate chips to make a face. "This look okay?"

"Yup," she took a knife and took a cookie. In a matter of moments, and with a lot more skill than I had in my pinky finger, she set the cookie down, a smiling face beaming up at the ceiling. "How well do you know Hiro?" She asked casually.

I get the interrogation now? I rolled my eyes. My parents would do the exact same. "I barely know him. I see him at the school every now and then, but until last night, we hadn't talked for more than fifteen minutes or so."

She nodded. "He's a good boy."

He's a _fine_ man, I added silently.

"So tell me about yourself," she started, silencing the awkward quiet.

"What do you want to know?"

"What do you like to do?"

I sighed. What a broad question. My favorite. "I love to read. And write. And hike too, there's this amazing trail by my house that I'll take when I need quiet."

"What do you like to read?"

"Just about anything I can get my hands on, as long as it doesn't bore me to death, or set my teeth on edge with absurdity."

Cass laughed. "What a person for Hiro to bring home. He hardly reads, unless it's a machine operations guide or some kind of handbook. Or the textbook he teaches out of."

I blushed. He hadn't _brought me home_ on purpose. "I tried to explain Frankenstein to him once."

I laugh erupted from the small lady. "That must have taken some guts," she set a cookie down and took another one.

"I ran out of patience," I said humbly. "What do you like to do? Other than run the café, I mean."

She smiled at me, as if she wanted to share a secret. "I'm trying to figure that out myself. Hiro's all grown up now, so I don't have to spoil him anymore. And with Phil gone…" she hummed away a sigh. "Phil was my husband; before the boys even came to me, he died of cancer. I accepted his passing a _long_ time ago, but sometimes, I wish he could just keep me company."

There was so much death in this family alone, how did they manage to stay so strong? I didn't know what to say, this family seemed to leave me speechless quite a bit, so I just nodded, staying quiet.

Before I knew it, we were finished with the cookies, and moved onto the doughnuts.

A hand came out of nowhere and snagged the doughnut I had just set down. "Breakfast time," Hiro murmured behind me. I turned and saw the pastry disappear. He reached for another one, and I whacked his hand away.

"No way, I worked hard on these," I scolded. "Go make me some eggs."

He rolled his eyes. "So demanding. Do we have eggs, Aunt Cass?"

"There's also some bacon in the bottom drawer of the fridge, and pancake mix with the flour and sugar," she answered him with a grin on her face.

* * *

_Life seemed so simple to them, so easy. And it was easy, easy to be with them too. Life got a little bit more complicated when my best friend Sophie got back from Anaheim._

* * *

"Tonight?!" My voice hitched an octave higher, "You could have warned me! I don't have anything to wear or-"

"Wear that cream dress you bought in the spring. That will look perfect. Look, Melinda, I know it's sudden, but it's _necessary_. I'm turning 22! What's bigger than that?"

"23?"

She sighed, her breathing heavy through the phone. "This is important to me."

"I know, I know, but I have to work tonight, and I'll be all the way in San Fransokyo."

"It's only a five minute drive to Gordan's Valley. C'_mon_ Melinda!"

"It's a fifteen minute drive, and you know it. Why can't this wait until next week? Then I can get it off!"

"Everyone is already coming tomorrow," I could almost hear her rolling her eyes at me. "You have to be there. You are my best friend, and you _are_ coming."

I loved her to pieces, so how could I refuse? I sighed, "Okay. Tomorrow night. I'll be there at 10, at the earliest."

"You are to best, babe. See you then."

I hung up, and stared woefully at my summer homework. That cream dress wasn't going to cut it anymore. I'd put on a little bit more weight, and a bit more cleavage, since I'd worn that dress, _last_ spring when I'd bought it. At least I had a little bit of spare money to buy a new one.

* * *

**Ooh! The next chapter is going to be SO much fun to write! O.o Can't wait!**


	5. Excuse Me

**Yay! This chapter is early! It was worrying at me all day since this morning. I hope you like it! And thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really means a lot to me! -Zaira**

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**_Excuse Me_**

Sugar gave me one look when I came into work that night. One look was all it took to take in the translucent dress bag, and the white strappy shoes in both hands, a grumpy smile on my face. She smiled an actual, genuine smile. "Where are you going with that?"

I didn't bother giving her an answer, just strolled past her to the break room where I set my party outfit on the table. Sophie owed me big time for this. Still, it had been a while since I'd gone to a party, and it would be nice. Soph said there would be cute boys.

"Can I do your hair?" I jumped, not realizing that Sugar was behind me. "Please?" She asked, a glimmer of something in her eyes. Excitement? Maybe.

"Why would you do that?" I countered. "I have to finish this whole thing, before nine thirty, are you going to stay that long?"

She sighed, a long, drawn out sigh. "Please Melinda?"

She knew my name? That was… surprising, actually. "But why?" I asked, curious more than moody this time.

"To make up for the time I haven't been here?" She offered. It was obviously not true. I tapped my foot, waiting for the right answer. "Okay, fine. It's been a long time since I've helped anyone look nice. You obviously need help, especially if you want to leave at nine-thirty. We will want to be done by eight thirty then." She quirked a smile, "I'll vacuum, we don't want you sweaty for the special occasion, do we?"

She was being nice. I was baffled by it. But if we could be done by eight thirty… I'd take anything. True to her word, she vacuumed, mopped, and did all the heavy work while I did windows and garbage. We were done by eight forty-five, way earlier than I had planned.

Sugar clapped her hands in delight when I stepped out of the bathroom in my blue-gray dress. It had a beaded a-line neckline, snug bodice, and short sleeves, with a skirt that dropped and swished just past my knees. It was so girly, not something I'd usually wear, but hey, it was eighty bucks, and it was Sophie's birthday. I could make one exception.

"You have good taste," she told me. "That looks amazing on you."

I blushed, she'd never said anything that nice to me before. She hadn't been mean, per se, but she hadn't been kind either. "Thank you."

"With that kind of look, maybe we should do a half up, half down kind of do, does that sound okay?"

I smiled uncertainly. "To be honest, I was just going to pull it up in a ponytail, or a messy bun. But if you have a better idea…"

Sugar huffed at me and rolled her eyes, escorting me back into the bathroom. "Oh hon, that would not have worked at all. Do you have a brush, or a comb, or anything?"

I gave her my brush and a couple of hairbands. She got to work, twisting my hair up, pinning with bobby pins that had been procured from nowhere. She hummed a little bit, me staring my reflection down while she focused on her task at hand.

"Sugar," I said hesitantly. "Why are you doing this? I got the impression that you didn't like me."

Her eyes flickered to mine in the mirror, and she sighed, pushing a strand of blond hair behind her ear. She stuck another bobby pin in my hair, right behind my ear. "I don't know where you got that idea."

"You just never do the work. You're kind of a slacker in my book, and I'm the exact opposite."

She grinned wryly at me, her eyes not meeting mine again. "At least you're honest."

We didn't talk for a few minutes. The silence broke when she spoke again. "I'll give you honest then. You remind me a lot of my little sister. She's such a dork, but pretty. I loved running my hands through her long hair, it was longer than yours," she said, tugging at it gently. My hair went to my waist, it was such a hassle to keep it that long, but my mom liked it that way. And secretly, I thought it was my best quality. "She's sixteen now, too good for her big sister, and I've been working three different jobs at the same time." My eyes widened, and she smiled, "Not such a slacker am I?" She shook her head. "I wanted to go into a cosmetology center to be trained, but I failed the entrance exam, and have been working ever since. This job is the least of my problems, I work as a waitress downtown, and a secretary in a big-shot business in Carensville. Sometimes they clash, but they always clash with this one.

"Which is why I'm never here. Sorry about that."

"Sorry I called you a slacker."

"No worries. I'm making it up, aren't I?"

"I won't get mad again if you show up late," I offered.

She laughed, "That would be great. Friends?" She stepped back, letting my hair fall back. She'd twisted most of the top layers up into a gentle bun, leaving my wavy hair to settle onto my back.

I breathed deeply, liking the transformation. "Definitely. Can you help me with my make-up?"

She grinned. "Thought you'd never ask."

* * *

_When I left that bathroom, I felt like I was a new woman. Sophie would be proud._

_Until I stumbled into Hiro on the way out._

* * *

My shoes were clutched in my hands, the bag tucked beneath my arm as I dug for my keys. "Stupid, stupid bag," I was muttering. "Why do you have holes? I bought you three months ago!" I captured my keys and when I looked up, I crashed into Hiro Hamada.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry," I cried, not realizing quite at that moment what had happened. He had just appeared. Then I realized who it was and I smiled. "Hiro! What are you doing here?" I picked up my bag and slung my purse over my shoulder and looked back up at him.

He hadn't answered yet, seemingly stunned by my appearance, which was odd because he knew I worked here at this time of night. He cracked a smile, his brown eyes wide. "I just had to pick something up from my office." He ran his hands through his hair. "You look amazing, Melinda."

The dress. The make-up. All of it. I blushed crimson, that was the only shade that could account for the heat I felt in my cheeks. He'd only seen me in sweats and t-shirts, not in anything fancy. "Th-thanks Hiro," I muttered.

"What's the occasion?"

"My friend Sophie's birthday party is tonight," I said. Why was I so embarrassed? It was just Hiro! I couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Do you mind if I walk you to your car? You look like you could use a little help," he teased, easing the dress bag out from under my arm.

I looked at him in surprise, then nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem," he said quietly.

We walked out the front doors to where my car was parked. I opened up the passenger door and dumped my shoes in the seat, along with my purse. He draped the bag in the backseat. We stood there awkwardly for a moment, before he rubbed the back of his neck, "If you need anything, you can find me at my aunt's," he said. "Good night."

"Night," I mumbled, and got into my car. This stupid dress and reduced us to this? I glared at the fabric, but then softened when I remembered his wide eyes, looking at me. His brown eyes had been so warm, warming my cheeks. Why had I reacted like that? I should have been cool and suave, like Sophie. _Next time_, I told myself.

* * *

My stomach dropped when I strapped on my white shoes. I hated parties. Why was I doing this? I could hear the thumping of the bass from outside. Gordan's Valley was _the_ place for parties. Since when had Sophie been a party girl? Sure, I could dance, I liked going to the odd birthday party now and then, but _this?_ People I had never laid eyes on were walking into what I knew was a club. There was an actual bouncer checking IDs. I gulped, and started walking towards the door.

When I walked in, my first thought was _ew_. The smell was awful. There was the heavy scent of alcohol, and the humidity of the sweat rolling off of the dancing bodies. I looked for Sophie, before shooting her a quick test. _Where are you?_

I waited a half hour before she answered again, making my way slowly through the partiers, searching for my best friend. Where was she? How did she know all of these people?

_By the stage_, was her quick reply. I groaned and made my way into the center.

And there she was. She was tan, with bleached blond hair, a regular Californian, by anyone's standards, except her hair had been auburn before she had left for Anaheim. Her hair was plastered to her sweaty skin, and when she saw me, she shrieked and almost tackled me to the ground. I held the two of us up. I could smell the alcohol on her breath, and the way she swayed told me just how drunk she really was. She pulled away, holding my face. "You looook soo pretty," she screamed over the drums and the bass. "I'm glad youu made it, Meelinda," she smiled, her white teeth flashing in the black light.

"Let's get off the dance floor," I said into her ear. "It's been so long!"

"Two months," she said, raising the peace sign up until she nearly poked my eye out. "I havven't seen youuu into two monthhs."

I nodded at her, grabbing her arm, "C'mon."

She groaned, but followed me to the side where it was a little bit quieter. I pulled her into a hug. "Happy birthday, Sophie."

"Aww, you're the best," she said, when I pulled out a small, wrapped gift. "I'll open it later."

I nodded, "Now tell me all about Anaheim," I said, sitting down at a table.

"Let me get you a drink first," she said, her tongue thick. "It'll sound better that way."

I shook my head, "I don't drink, remember?"

"Your dad won't know anything," she tried.

I rolled my eyes. He totally would, but that's not the reason why I wasn't going to drink. "I don't drink."

"Suit yourself," she murmured, raising her hand for a waiter who came swinging by, a grin on his lips. I couldn't hear what she ordered, a simpering smile on her lips.

"Sophie, c'mon, you're drunk already."

She waved me off, "I'm fiine."

I looked around at the mesh of bodies. My nose was clogged with the smell of beer and sweat, my eyes watering when the lights flashed past us. There was a cheer when Sophie stood up, and swayed, her shriek bringing cries of laughter. I was embarrassed to be sitting near her. A heaviness settled into my stomach, the same knot of worry as earlier this evening. This wasn't what I had expected; not from Sophie.

"Where do you know all of these people?" I asked when she sat back down.

"I don't. Some I invited, some invited themselves," she drawled, a smile on her lips as another waiter went by.

"Oh please, how did you even book this place?"

She raised an eyebrow, a mysterious smile on her face. "I friend of mine helped me."

"Does your mom know?"

She scowled. "Meelinda, why do you have to ruin the mood? Have fun!"

My glare told her that this wasn't my idea of fun.

"It's just dancing," she said. "You like dancing."

I did. I really liked dancing, though I wasn't very good at it. The most I could do was some good foot stomping and a mean waltz when a slow song came on. I liked to move my body to a rhythm, to sing my heart out while I moved with everyone around me. "I'm tired tonight, I just got off from work. Stay with me, talk with me. Please?"

She smiled, but shook her head. "Nah." She stood up and ran into the crowd.

I gasped, and held back tears, aware that if I didn't, I'd be ruining Sugar's excellent make-up job. How could Sophie do this to me? She… she just left, without an excuse. It had been insensitive. _She's drunk_, I told myself. But she knew better than that, right?

I sat at the table, toying with the skirt of my dress. This was a disaster. I thought I'd be having a quieter night with my best friend, my old Sophie. But there she was, dancing with some jock that had his hands on her waist and were sliding down, down. I looked away, embarrassed. This was not my scene.

After a little while, I stood up again, and found Sophie, pulling her close so I could talk in her ear. "I'm going to go," I said.

She gaped at me, as if I was kidding. "Why?"

"I'm just really tired, and I-"

"You're ditching me?" Her face was a picture of betrayal.

"I'm not ditching you, I just need to get home."

She pushed me away, until we were on the outside of the crowd again. "You're 21! You don't need to worry about what your parents say," she was furious, I didn't know why. "You just follow every little thing they say, and you use it as an _excuse!_"

"I'm sorry? I like to have a roof over my head!"

"Excuses, excuses. Well you know what? Your behavior tonight is _inexcusable_," she shoved me into a table. "I hate you! You act like you're the most perfect being in the universe! You are not! You are not better than me, and stop acting like it!"

Tears were definitely rolling down my face now. Why was she so angry? And the _words_… "Sophie, please-"

"Get out of here," she screamed, her face red with exertion. "I don't ever want to see you again!"

That was it, the last straw. I gulped in air, and wiped the tears from my cheeks. She was gone, just like that. The Sophie I knew and loved wasn't there anymore. Did I ever really have her? I grabbed my bag and rushed out of there. It was too hot outside, the summer night just not enough to cool me down. I looked for my car and saw it in the distance. I started to run, not wanting anyone to see my escape.

I felt like a fool, I was a fool. Why hadn't I seen the change? _She was drunk_, I told myself. But was that really an excuse? I felt her change in the way she talked to me over the phone, in the way she swished her hair when she saw me, the moment she left me for the dance floor. In the way she danced with that creep. She wasn't _my _Sophie anymore, the sweet, fearless girl I had adored, had looked up to. Did she really think I was perfect? Funny, I had thought she was perfect.

My car was right there, and when I turned to go to the driver's side, my heel turned beneath me and I hit the ground, hard. I couldn't breathe, and fresh tears made their way down my cheeks as I struggled to drag air into my lungs. When I finally did, I screamed in frustrating, in hurt. I sobbed into my arms, as I struggled to get my key into the lock of my door. I turned it, and got into my car, wrenching my shoes off so I could drive.

I hated her, I _hated her!_ How could she do this to me? I leaned against the wheel and tried to stop the whimpers coming out of my chest, but they kept coming. I was hurt. She had ruined me, destroyed everything we had. And I still loved her, she was my sister, the one I went to when I couldn't stand to be with my family. She was there when I scraped myself up. She had been there when I'd broken up with my first boyfriend. She'd always been there, until Anaheim.

I started the engine of my car, and to my relief, it started. I didn't want my parents to see my like this. I didn't want to explain. I started to drive, blinking back tears. If I started crying again, I would have to pull over. I wasn't going to crash on top of everything.

I had no idea where I was going, but when I recognized the streets of San Fransokyo, I knew where I had subconsciously led myself. I parked on the side, and walked into the Lucky Cat Café.

* * *

**I hope you liked/hated this as much as I did! I don't like making my characters cry. Grrr. Sorry about the lack of Hiro, but there will be MUCH more next chapter! Can't wait!**


	6. Flying

**Sorry for the late updates everyone! I was so swamped last week... phew, glad that's over! I want to thank everyone again for your support! I especially wanted to thank the guests who commented, since I can't privately thank them. You guys are awesome! Your reviews make me laugh and fill me with such happiness! I know, it sounds lame, but it's true! You guys are the best! I hope you like this chapter as much as I do!**

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**_Flying_**

When I reached for the door, all I was thinking about was the hurt inside of me, the squeezing of my ribs around my heart. When I opened the door and heard the little bell ring, I remembered my tears and the smeared make-up, my scrunched up face. Did I really want anyone to see my like this? Too late. The door was open, and my bare feet touched the tile, walking inside.

There was a slight gasp from behind the cashier's counter. I looked up, and was shocked to see Sugar Brooklyn in a light green apron; she ducked beneath the counter and wrapped her arms around me. "Oh sweetheart, what happened?"

Her warmth made me cry harder, and she handed me some napkins to wipe my face and nose. Smears of dark make-up came off and I left them there; it had to be all gone by then. One look at Sugar's pitying face, and I wanted to clam up, but she somehow brought the story out of me. We sat at one of the tables, my head in my hands as the soft light from the wall sconces mixed with the shadows of the night.

"Is the café closed?" I asked, suddenly.

"We don't close until midnight, so we have a little while left," she said. Her brow scrunched up a little bit. "Though maybe I should-"

"What do you need to do?"

"Oh nothing."

The little bell rang, along with a squishing sound, and both of our heads turned to the door. "Sorry I'm a little bit late for cleanup, Sugar, but I had to run to Reese's and-" He saw us, and more specifically me. I flushed, though it couldn't possibly be seen in the dim light. Maybe the make-up hadn't been completely washed off. I grabbed a napkin and scrubbed at my face.

"Hiro," Sugar said cheerfully. "It's fine, in fact, if you could just step in for me while I clean up…" She stood up and patted her chair, "I took a midnight shift for a friend tonight, so I've gotta scoot."

Hiro turned to look at me again, a frown on his face. He sat down. Baymax, and not the mini one, came and walked over to us, looking at me with unblinking eyes. "Are you- are you hungry?" Hiro offered.

I smiled and noticed for the first time my gnawing stomach. "Starving." There had been more beer than food at Sophie's party.

He stood up and bent over the counter, grabbing a couple of doughnuts. He passed one to me, a chocolate-filled chocolate-glazed doughnut. Mmmmm.

"So I take it the party didn't go well," he said quietly.

I nodded. I felt completely burned out since my sob session. I could fall asleep right now, except I wasn't in bed, and didn't really want to be. "It did not."

"You want to tell me about it?"

I thought about brushing him off, but he seemed genuine. Sugar had places to be, and Sophie was definitely unavailable. Who else could I talk to? "I went to the party, finding my ex-best friend completely changed. She pushed me in a table and told me she never wanted to see me again."

"You're not drunk or anything, are you? I smell-"

"That would be the beer; but no, I didn't have a single thing to drink tonight. Wouldn't risk it."

"Why not?"

"In case someone decided to spice up the soda. I have a policy, a rule for myself: I'm never going to drink a single drop of alcohol. I've seen what it does to people, and it's not pretty. It ruins relationships." My brother's especially.

"Where were you?"

"Some place in Gordan's Valley. I'm not even sure how I found it. Or how I ended up here," I said. My throat was tight, I didn't want to talk. That was going to be the hardest part. "I walked in, and instantly realized what kind of party it was, and didn't want to be a part of it. But it was Sophie's party and I had to stay. For her, anyway.

"She completely blew me off. That was the start. Then I told her I was leaving, and she yelled at me. End of story." But it wasn't. I felt the tears start again, but I wouldn't let them fall.

Hiro hadn't taken his eyes off of me from the beginning. "How long have you been friends?"

"Since eighth grade," I said immediately. "We were paired up for a lab assignment in science, and became fast friends. We haven't separated since."

Until Anaheim. Until now. That internship seemed to have done her a lot of good, and me… nada. We sat there in silence until I spoke up again. "I'd never had a real friend until her. I moved from New York for a couple of years, before going back for a year, and coming back again.

"I don't know if the moving affected our relationship, but I always felt like I'd stuck with her, even if she didn't stick with me. She had a lot of problems with her siblings, she's a baby, like I am, so we had that in common. Other than that… she was rich, popular, fun. The exact opposite of me." I saw him about to protest and I shook my head for silence. "Eighth grade was hard for everyone. Thirteen isn't a fun age. We had our problems, but nothing we couldn't fix."

"Until she moved away?"

"It might have started before then," I said quietly. "Since our junior year, she hasn't been there for me as often. We both go to Ivison College, but I had a scholarship, and I dorm on campus, while she still lives with her family. There have been a lot of times when she hasn't been there for me, and then she went to Anaheim, and it was as if she disappeared. One phone call a week, sometimes not even that. She just didn't seem to care about me when we talked.

"It hurt, but I ignored it. She was having fun, who was I to judge? She was finally getting an opportunity; she's always been rich, and a little spoiled, but her parents were always pushing her towards independence, even if she pushed back." I didn't really know where to go from there. I leaned my head on my folded arms. "Maybe she wasn't the perfect friend, but she was the only one I had."

"Maybe it's not my place," Hiro started, "but you have friends, good ones. Maybe it's time to move on?"

I sighed, feeling so empty. "Sugar showed me a lot of love today; she helped a lot with my outfit, and for nothing! I haven't felt such selflessness directed towards me in… so long. It felt like real friendship. I never got that from Sophie. I don't know why." I caught his brown eyes. "And you've been listening to me this entire time without interruption, not interjecting stupid or hurtful comments. Sophie was always interrupting, trying to make me feel better with experiences from her own life. It just made me feel stupid. You don't make me feel stupid, Hiro."

He smiled softly at me. "Good. You told me that you would always listen to me; I need to return the favor." He stood up, and Baymax squeaked backward a step. "I have an idea, something I want to show you."

I finished up my doughnut and wiped my fingers on a napkin. "Do you mind if I wash up before?"

He shook his head and I ducked into the bathroom. Ugh. How could he even look at me? I grabbed a paper towel, wetted it, and rubbed off the rest of my make-up. I undid my hair and fluffed up my skirt a little bit. The dress was so pretty; it was a bummer that the occasion ended up being a waste of time.

When I came out of the bathroom, Hiro looked up with a smile on his face. We left through the front door, locking it behind us, and we went around the corner into an alleyway. The darkness made me nervous and I inched closer to Hiro. Baymax was making an absurd amount of noise. There was a faint swishing sound and a garage opened up in front of us. "Welcome to my at-home lab," Hiro said cheerfully. "Now come on, it's about time I took you flying."

My breath caught in my throat, excitement washing through me. "Flying?" I squeaked. A little bit of the stress from my day melted away as Hiro beckoned me to help him stuff Baymax into a red and purple suit. It definitely made him more intimidating, and I didn't need to ask if this was what he wore when Hiro went on his superhero 'missions.'

I was quickly introduced to Baymax, and then I was stuffed into a flying suit. It was mostly purple, the measurements just slightly off. "I was working off of Honey Lemon's measurements," Hiro explained. "You are a bit shorter than her, but I think it works." It did work; she must have been a lot skinnier than me though, because the suit was tight.

He led me over to the armored Baymax who started lecturing Hiro about flying, when he brought my hand onto the handhold. It clicked into place with my armor, creating a satisfying _snick_. My leg went up, then my other arm, and my other leg. "Are you feeling okay?" Hiro asked; I felt kind of silly straddling Baymax's back, _the _Baymax's back. If Sophie knew, she would blow a gasket or something.

"I'm good," I said.

"Awesome, then have some fun. I'll be up there once Baymax drops you off, okay?"

I nodded, and the thrusters shot us out of the garage. I screamed in delight as we flew through the air, faster than anything I'd ever known. Soon enough, we were high above San Fransokyo, dodging the edges of buildings and the infinite number of advertisements floating in the air.

"Can you hear me?" Hiro asked, his voice coming in through the speakers in the helmet I was wearing.

"Loud and clear," I said. "This is amazing!"

"Baymax already has the coordinates, so you should be fine," he said. "Almost there…"

We landed on top of a building, one that was higher than most, though not the tallest. I scrambled off, the magnets (or whatever they were) powering off as Baymax landed. He waited until I was safely clinging onto the railing of the building until he rocketed off, down into the streets of the city.

It took a few minutes, but Hiro came back with his robot and smiled at me when he took off his helmet. "How's the view?" He asked.

I could see for miles. The Sokyo bay was just beneath us and the water sparkled under the shining moonlight. I couldn't hear the waves lapping at the beach, empty in the late night, but I could see the white froth of foam. The city itself was never silent; cars rushed through traffic lights, beeping and horning at each other. Lights illuminated every surface, or shined off of every sheet of glass. I could feel the bright red neon lighting up my face as the colors went from one to the other. "It's nothing I've ever seen before," I said. "Nothing." I looked up at the sky and to my delight, I could see the stars. The light pollution didn't reach all the way up here, it seemed. "They make me feel so small," I sighed. "So insignificant, but in a good way."

Hiro stood by my side, hands clenching the railing as he leaned out to see the city. "No one knows we're up here except us and the birds."

"And the stars," I said. "And the moon. But no one else."

"You are happy feeling so small?" Came a robotic voice behind us. I turned around and saw Baymax's slightly confused expression through his helmet.

I laughed, an action I wasn't sure I could really be capable of, but it bubbled out of me. "Yes. If I'm that small, it means my worries and problems are even smaller."

"You should not push away sorrow," he reminded me.

I leaned back against the railing and caught Hiro's amused expression. "I'm not. Not tonight. I'm just letting them go."

The empty feeling wasn't gone, but it wasn't eating me up anymore. Sophie might think that I'm perfect, or that I act perfect, but I knew who I was. Hiro knew who I was even. If she didn't see me, the real me, then who was she to judge? Who was she to make me feel bad about myself?

_She was drunk_, I reminded myself. Guilt still chewed at my insides, but it wasn't so insistent. I would forgive her, and maybe, she'd forgive me. In the meantime…

I looked at the handsome man across from me. He had walked up to Baymax and had started spouting off nonsense about computer chips and algorithms, and I had accidentally zoned him out. He caught my gaze and smiled. "You didn't hear a word I just said did you?" He put on a mock-hurt face, "What happened to listening to each other?"

I laughed, the sound loud in my ears, but _real._ Oh so _real_. "I'm sorry; I give you full permission to never zone out if I start going off about analysis and English-y stuff. Fair?"

He drew closer, an unreadable expression on his face. "Sounds fair to me."

I wanted more than anything to cross the distance between us and wrap my arms around him. But I didn't want to ruin anything and I was late alr-

"What time is it?" I asked. "Crap, Dad's going to kill me."

"A little bit past one."

I sighed in relief. "Good, not past curfew yet."

"When do you need to be home?"

"By two. I should be able to get home in forty-five minutes or so," I mused.

"Why don't I just take you home now?" Hiro asked. "I can drop your car off in the morning."

"How?"

He raised an eyebrow, then glanced meaningfully at Baymax. "I have my ways."

If I thought looking out at the city was breathtaking, the country was even more so. The full moon lit up the hills, creating more peace, and adding light to more stars than I'd seen in a long time. I breathed in the fresh, unpolluted air as I clung to Baymax's arm, only one foot and hand connected to Baymax. Hiro took the other two. "This is amazing," I breathed. I heard an affirmation from Hiro's end of the line.

Getting a bird's eye view of my town was amazing, and kind of confusing. I couldn't tell what roads led to where, but Baymax seemed to have an excellent sense of direction because before I knew it, we had landed on my doorstep with a barely audible _clunk_.

I pulled off my helmet and shook my hair out. "I'll get this back to you," I promised.

"Thanks," Hiro said.

I nodded, and turned to the door, key in hand, ready to open it. "My keys are in my purse, remember?" I tested him.

"Yep. You won't even know it was gone," he said warmly.

I didn't want to leave him there; I'd just had a night to remember, and I felt as if I was leaving without a proper good bye.

"Hiro?" I asked timidly.

He turned away from Baymax for a second and held my gaze. "Yeah?"

Now or never, I breathed, and stepped forward, putting my arms around his waist. "Thank you for listening, and for being there for me," I said. My voice hitched in my throat, but I kept on. "It means a lot to me, more than you will ever know."

"I will always listen," he said, his arms tightening around me. "You're welcome, anytime."

Tears pricked my eyes, and I let him go. He hopped on Baymax's back with more grace and practice than I could ever pull off, and they flew off into the night.

* * *

_This was the first time I really recognized the feelings I had for Hiro. This was the night I first fell for him. It was also the night when I realized that if I wanted to keep his friendship, I couldn't make another move. I cared about him, a lot. I didn't want to lose a good thing._

_But oh how I wanted him to sweep me off of my feet, tell me he cared about me. _

_It never happens like that, at least, not in my experience. So, I was content with what I had. –Melinda Hastings._

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**O.o What's going to happen in the next chapter? I will update as soon as possible! Love you all, and please review!**


	7. Nervous

**A super early update! I was writing in my own creative writing class and just felt this chapter come out. I hope you like it! ;)**

* * *

**_Nervous_**

_Mrs. Killian,_

_For the time being, nothing happened. Well, some things did, but… let me explain. Cass gave me a job at the Lucky Cat Café, so that I could earn a little bit more before going to Ivison's in the fall. I was able to see Hiro a lot more; we got closer, but only as friends._

_One time, I attempted to ask him out on a date-that-wasn't-really-a-date and was completely shot down. It was actually really embarrassing, you might appreciate it a little bit._

_For some reason, which I can't remember, we were talking about holiday traditions. Thanksgiving, Christmas, fun stuff like that. I do remember it was getting towards the end of August, and I was getting kind of nervous for school starting. That, and the fact that once I was back in Ivison's, I probably wouldn't be able to see Hiro until the next summer._

_That's what scared me the most. I wasn't _in love_ with him, for sure, but he was one of my only friends at that moment in my life. Sugar was good, amazing, in fact, but she was always so busy with work. Sophie hadn't apologized, and I had made no move towards apology either, considering she didn't even want to see me._

_So let's just say, I panicked a little bit. It wasn't too disastrous, but…_

* * *

"Do you want to join me for Thanksgiving?" I blurted out. The question had been eating at me for the entire conversation. I wanted to see him during the school year, was that so wrong? Except the moment I said it, I instantly regretted it. His expression kind of went inside of himself, and he lowered his eyes guiltily.

How stupid can I get? Of course he wasn't going to join me! I was just Melinda Hastings, an English major he met just 3 months ago.

"I'm sorry," he started, and I winced. _Idiot_, I reprimanded myself. "Aunt Cass and I usually spend it together. "

Then I felt really guilty, because, of course! Duh! Why would he spend it with me when he has family? I smiled then, a big fake smile that I was begging he wouldn't see through. "Just thought I'd ask."

* * *

_See? Not too bad. Except that my face burns every single time I think about my moment of stupidity. My own selfishness might have ruined any chance I had with him. We pretended that had never happened, but it continued to bug me, no matter how much I tried to ignore it. I wanted to be more than a friend to him; I wanted a chance to prove myself._

_But Hiro Hamada is really something; he knew what he wanted, and if I was honest with myself, a completely non-scientific book geek was not his idea of a girlfriend._

_Our relationship was different after that; we were still friends, but he knew what I wanted, so he stayed away. And I stayed away because I hate it when people avoid me; I would rather avoid them._

_School started again in late August, and I went Ivison's. I had excellent roommates, amazing classes, thank goodness my generals were finally taken care of, and I tried to throw myself into my work. Hiro and I called and texted each other plenty when I finally left, and I tried to visit the café when I had time to drive to San Fransokyo, but by the beginning of October, it fizzled out. Finals were coming up for both of us and we were so busy, neither of us wanted to think about the other. At least, that's how I thought about it._

_Finals came and went, and we just never picked up where we left off. I was frustrated and embarrassed. And resigned. Because of this, next summer wasn't going to be the same._

_By the middle of November, I had, for the most part, moved on from Hiro. I had gone on a few dates with some nice boys, though school was kind of taking over my life. Who knew an English degree could be so much work?_

_So I had moved on. Until he sent me a quick text; it was November 20__th__, 2055 at 11:33 pm, Friday night._

* * *

I felt a familiar buzz in my pocket, one that I hadn't felt in a long while. I had changed Hiro's text buzz from the other, normal, everyday texts. Because I'm lame like that. I drew my phone out and bit my lip, wondering why he was texting me so late at night. I was up because of homework; a six page analysis on Crime and Punishment takes _forever_.

_Is your offer still good for Thanksgiving?_

It took me a moment to realize what he was even talking about; that memory was so embarrassing that I had pushed it to the very back of my mind, only to come out when I was really wallowing, which I never liked to do. Thanksgiving was next Thursday. I had barely thought about Thanksgiving, though Mom had called and asked me to bring some rolls for the feast.

I didn't answer him for a while. Did he really want to come? Did I want him with me? I knew the answer to the second question. Yes. Yes I did. It had been too long since I had seen him and I wanted to feel his smile again, if that was possible.

_Yes :) _was my answer. I sent a quick _A friend is coming with me for Thanksgiving _text to my mother. I knew she wouldn't answer until the morning. I dropped my papers on the floor next to my bed and closed my laptop. I was tired; tired of drama and hope and school. I needed the break, Thanksgiving Break, that is.

_Thanks you_, was his reply. I smiled. Questions ran through my head; why did he want to come with me all of a sudden? What about Cass? What was my mom going to think?

I fell asleep thinking about everything that could go wrong, and everything that could go right.

* * *

_The days dragged on the closer Thanksgiving Break came. I wanted to see Hiro, but I was nervous, far beyond nervous, actually._

_Midterms were coming up, and I was doing well in all of my classes (my best class being your creative writing class, of course) and I was able to pass all of my mid-finals. The moment school was out for me, I jumped into my car and drove the two hours to San Fransokyo._

* * *

The plan was to pick him up at SFIT, in front of the Tadashi Hamada Hall. I looked at the building, reminiscing about summer. It had been perfect, pretty much. Well, okay, no. It hadn't been perfect, but it had been one of the best summers I'd ever experienced.

I saw Hiro, and the butterflies in my stomach decided to flutter. _I can do this_, I told myself, and got out of the car to wave him down. He caught sight of me and smiled that ridiculously wide smile. His brown eyes were warm and sweet. He picked his way through the parking lot and gave me a hug. "Hi," I said, hoping I didn't sound too breathless at his greeting.

"It's been awhile," he said. I nodded, and pulled away from him. His hair was as shaggy as ever, completely going against his shirt, tie, and khakis look. I saw him dressed up twice before (and let me tell you, that tux he wore to his friend's wedding was _hot_) so it was a bit of a surprise to see him like that. "Do you mind driving me to the café so I can get dressed and grab my bag?"

I nodded, "No prob. Where's your motorcycle?"

"Reese had to borrow it for the week."

I had yet to meet Hiro's superhero successor, but Hiro talked about him a lot. I smiled and switched into drive, backing up slowly. I felt every second filled with silence, and it was embarrassing. I could talk around boys, sure, my roommates liked to tease that I was socially awkward, which was true, but… not like this. Hiro had me tongue tied.

"How was school?" We asked at the same time.

I looked at him in surprise, laughing. "Fine, just wonderful. Thank goodness I'm out. The papers I have to write are never ending."

He relaxed a little bit, his eyes on the road, "No kidding; though it's the papers I have to read. If I had to write them, I'd be screwed."

I shook my head and entered the streets of downtown San Fransokyo. It wasn't too busy, but the city traffic always made me nervous. "You don't know how good you have it."

I tried not to peek at him when he turned his head to smile at me. _Eyes on the road, Melinda_, I told myself. I would be in his close company for the next half hour to forty-five minutes, not to mention the 4 days he was staying at my house. I could do this. I came to the café and parked. "Do you want to come in?" Hiro asked.

"I'd love to." He was on my side of the car in a flash and opened up my door for me. Such a gentleman, but he hadn't been like this before. I raised my eyebrow, and said thank you. I had some extra cash to buy rolls and a doughnut for the ride.

"You're welcome," he murmured and we walked in. Cass was at the register, looking extremely weary, but happy. When she saw me, she called my name and ducked under the counter to gather me into a hug.

"It's been so long!" She cried, and pulled away, her hands on my shoulders. "You need anything for the trip?"

"Yes actually," I smiled, and she brought me to the other side of the counter so I could pick. "I want a double chocolate and a couple dozen rolls. I'm sorry I haven't visited in a couple of months," I said earnestly. "I've just been so busy with school and-"

"Don't you worry about it!" She grinned at me and I felt instantly guilty at her motherly-love. I'd wanted to come, but _someone_ had kept me away. I glanced at him and his eyes shifted away quickly. Had he been… "Here, I made some amazing chocolate vanillas, give one to your mom, will you?"

I nodded, "She'll love it." Cass didn't let me give her the money for the rolls or my double chocolate doughnut, so I discreetly stuck a ten into the tip jar. Hiro caught my eye and smiled; I rolled my eyes at him and put a finger to my lips.

He nodded, then went into the back, and up the stairs. There was a flash of blond ponytail, and I raised my voice, "Sugar?"

I heard something fall in the back, and a groan before Sugar Brooklyn's flour-covered face appeared. "Melinda? What are you doing here?" She was at my side instantly and pulled me into a squeeze. "Oh wait, Thanksgiving right?"

"I was getting some rolls and Hiro was grabbing his bags. How's work?"

"I quit the secretary position and I work here full time now," she grinned. "It's amazing! I still take the odd job every once in a while, but this is my main place now."

"Good for you," I clasped her hands, looking up into her face. "Will you be able to get into the Cosmetology Institute next semester?"

She leaned forward, her mouth next to my ear. "Actually, I'm going into culinary arts in the summer. Don't tell Cass, I wanted to surprise her."

I nearly squealed, but covered my mouth. "That's _so_ _cool!_"

"Yeah. Wish me luck?"

"The luck is all yours," I laughed, and turned when Hiro came back down, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, his usual get-up, with a sweater tied around his waist. "Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah," he turned to his aunt. "I'll see you next week, right?"

"Call me every night. Don't get into any trouble," she glanced at me. "Same goes for you, young lady."

I cleared my throat, trying to decide what I wanted to say to that, but Hiro distracted her by leaning in for a hug and kissed her on the cheek. "Happy holidays, love you."

"Love you too, big guy," she grinned. She pulled me into a hug as well, "It was good to see you again, Melinda."

"You too, Cass," I murmured and pulled away, only to be suctioned into another squeeze by Sugar.

When the two of us finally pulled ourselves away, I opened the trunk of my car, and settled the rolls next to his bag. When I pulled out of my parking space, I asked the question that had been eating at me since I saw Cass. "Why aren't you spending your holiday with Cass?"

He glanced at me, I caught the look out of the corner of my eye, and he ran his fingers through his hair. "I would love to spend the holiday with her, but she's been invited to spend time with her boyfriend's family."

I froze for a second, idling at the corner, until the person behind me honked. I turned. "_What_? She has a boyfriend? When did this happen?"

"His name is Samuel Waters, sound familiar?"

"One of the early morning regulars, right? He's been pestering Cass for a date for months now. And she accepted?"

"Finally," I saw a flash of his smile. "I told her she should give him a chance, Sam's a nice guy."

"When did this happen?"

"About two months ago."

"I can't believe it! I mean, I can, but wow!" I grinned, pulling into the next lane and onto the freeway. "She did seem a lot happier than usual."

"I hope so."

"So she's going to meet his family?"

"Yeah. He has a couple of teenagers, and his parents living in Valique. I was invited as well, but… no thanks."

I laughed. "They're not too mushy already, are they? It's only been a couple of months!"

"No, no, it's not that. Meeting his family seems… too straightforward, I guess. Not for her, obviously, but. Oh I don't know, she doesn't need me right now."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"No one needs her grown nephew tagging along on what should be a romantic holiday," he made a face. "That'd be awkward."

"You don't know awkward until you've met my family," I said. "You didn't know what you were getting into when you accepted my offer."

"Thanks, by the way."

"For what?"

"First, for offering. Second, for letting me come after I said no. I know we haven't been very close these last few weeks. I guess… I just wanted to see you."

I blushed. I know I did. I was tempted to check in my mirror, but that would look horrendous. Instead, I looked at him. His body was slightly turned toward me in his seat, his head resting on the headrest. He was smiling and my heart stuttered for a moment. What was he doing? _What was he doing_? If I was reading the signs right, and I was pretty positive I was, Hiro actually seemed interested, in _me._ More than just friendly interest. What was going on?

My eyes went back to the road. Focus. What would Sophie do? Scratch that, what would Sugar say? She'd been there for me during relationship crises, and she always had the best advice. First, _breathe._ If I stopped breathing, we'd both be in big, big trouble. So I took a deep breath, and said what had come to mind, "We haven't been close, but that doesn't mean we're not friends."

"Good," he said, and settled back in his seat.

The last fifteen minutes of the ride home was filled with friendly chatter, we caught up on each other's lives; he told me about his students, I told him about my roommates. The closer I got to home, the quieter I got. Eventually, Hiro noticed.

"You okay?"

"Truth be told? No. One of the reasons I asked you to come with me in the first place is because I hate family get-togethers. I wanted someone there with me to support me."

He cocked his head in that adorable way of his. "Why?"

I sighed, and pulled into my driveway, the one I'd pulled in and out of a thousand times. "It will be easier to show you than to tell you."

I parked and let myself into the cool, fall air. I took a deep breath, and then another one. I closed the car door behind me and glanced at Hiro nervously. We walked to the front door and I rang the doorbell.

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**Sorry for the bit of a cliffhanger, I'll write the next chapter soon, I promise! Love you all! Please please review! -Zaira**


	8. To Grandmother's House We Go

**Hey everyone! Slightly for the day-late chapter! I hope the wait was totally worth it though. So far, this is my favorite chapter! And my longest... Last night, I tried writing it, but it just didn't seem to work. I tried again today in my creative writing class, and guess what?! It worked! And I wrote far more than I ever have in one period! Woohoo! Thank you everyone for the reviews! Special shout-out to Madorina for her comment, since I can't PM my thanks ;) **

* * *

**_To Grandmother's House We Go_**

My dad opened the door. He smiled at me, but the upward turn of his lips dropped when he saw Hiro standing behind me. "You never said your friend was a boy."

"Don't start harping on her now," Mom said from the kitchen. "He is welcome here."

I pushed past my father, sneaking an apologetic glance at Hiro on our way in, and went into the kitchen. She was wrapping up a final batch of cinnamon rolls and putting them in a long plastic container. "Hey Mom," I said warmly and she grinned as she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm glad you came," she said quietly. "Do you have the rolls? I'm packing up for the trip now so we don't have to worry about it in the morning."

I nodded, then remembered they were still in the car. "I left them in the trunk, I'll go-"

"I'll grab them," Hiro said, snatching my keys out of my hand. "Be right back!"

"You scared him off!" I said, huffing at my father. He ignored me. Mom raised her eyebrows, "You never said your friend was a boy, Melinda."

"I'm sorry," I said, not bothering to explain. It had been an accident, if they thought I did it on purpose, I'd put them in their place.

"It's fine," Mom sighed. "I was just going to have your friend sleep in your room, but that's not happening anymore," there was a meaningful glint in her eye and I blushed.

"Mom, we're just friends," I said firmly. "Nothing more than that. His name is Hiro Hamada and I met him at work, in the summertime."

"Okay, but he's still sleeping on the couch downstairs."

Hiro appeared with the rolls and our luggage. I took the rolls and handed them to Mom who put them in a long red cooler. "Almost done," she murmured.

"You want to show me where these go?" Hiro asked, holding up our bags.

I nodded, "Let's go downstairs." I lived in the basement in a cozy little nook, far away from any other room in the house. I was glad to see that no one had touched my room, not that anyone was ever home these days, and not that anyone would want to take my stuff. I set my suitcase on my bed, then closed the door, doubling back, and came to the family room. "This is where you will sleep. I'm sorry about the lack of privacy, but it's only for one night."

"It's fine," he said, and then took a closer look at our tv. No wait, our games. "Is that a Wii Three?"

"No, it's a Wii Us, unfortunately, or so my brothers say."

"Awesome." He picked up one of the remotes and fiddled around with it.

"You want to play?"

"Sure," Hiro said, trying to look cool about it. I laughed, he was so excited. He grabbed one of the remotes for me and I turned on the tv, choosing a game from our small collection. Mario Party 15 was one of my favorites, though I almost never played it anymore. I used to be so good that even my brothers would surrender to me. Ah, the good old days. I turned the small disk in my hands, then inserted it into the console.

The theme music started up and I got into ready position.

* * *

_A good half hour later…_

* * *

"Oh no you didn't!" I yelled, trying to grab his remote and steal back the item he took. "That is _mine_! I paid every last one of my coins for that!"

Hiro laughed, holding me back with a hand on my shoulder. "The game's fair! I can't cheat, and you can't cheat! C'mon Melinda, I totally won."

"You charlatan!" I took his remote and drove his character all over the game board. "I'll have my revenge."

Hiro unfolded himself from the couch and made a grab for the remote. "Who knew you were so competitive?" He gasped for breath while laughing.

I practically cackled as I stumbled off of the couch, out of his reach. "It's inherited," I danced away from his next attack, then fell on my butt. "I _will_ win this round, Hiro Hamada!"

"Oh yeah?" The question fell on my ears before his hands descended to my sides and started tickling me.

_Oh no_, I gasped for breath as my laughs turned to squeals and I turned on my side, trying to avoid his fingers. I clasped the remote to my chest and tried to squirm away from him, but he had me cornered against the wall. "Stop, stop!" I yelled, my eyes streaming with giddy tears.

"Not until you surrender!" Hiro laughed; he was relentless! I flopped onto my stomach, attempting to worm away, but he picked me up by my arms and dragged me onto my back, before grabbing the remote from my grasp.

"No fair!" I pawed at his dancing fingers as he shook his head, grinning. I collapsed against him when he finally stopped, but I couldn't stop laughing. "No fair, Hamada."

"All bets are off when you steal my remote," he said. "I think it's your turn."

"Where's my remote? The minigame's up next after I am," I said, trying to grab the remote without getting up.

Hiro sat up and found it, handing it to me, still chuckling. "Here you go, Hastings."

The last of my laughter bubbled out, "Stealing my shell was your final mistake."

"Bring it on," he grinned, pumping his fists.

"Lindy?"

I looked up at my nickname, so unfamiliar now. It'd been used during high school, though I'd hated it, so when I moved off, I insisted on being called Melinda again. "Spencer?" I gasped, and set the remote on the floor before dashing up and giving my big brother a hug. "I didn't know you were coming!"

My oldest brother was thirty years old with gold-brown hair and green eyes, like me. Unlike me, he was tall and strong. He wrapped me up in a bear hug, squeezing me for all I was worth. "Mom didn't tell you?"

"Maybe she wanted to surprise me," I smiled. "Where's Jennifer?"

"Upstairs with Mom. Amanda is up there with her, so are Ronnie and Jacie."

I jumped up the stairs in excitement to see my little nieces. Amanda was the oldest at 9, Ronnie was 7, and Jacie was 2. I hadn't seen them in almost a year. When I entered the kitchen, I hugged Amanda from behind, who, when she turned and saw me, smiled so wide that I saw the hole in her mouth where a tooth used to be. "Lindy!" She cried, and I picked her up, spinning her about.

"Be careful," Mom said, a smile in her voice.

I stopped and grinned at Jennifer, their mother. She smiled at me, before going back to packing up the rest of the food with Mom. Ronnie was a little bit shyer when coming to give me a hug. Her cheeks were rosy when she opened up her arms. I put down her big sister and wrapped her in a gentle hug. "You've gotten so big!" I exclaimed. "Look at you, you beautiful little girl!"

She blushed, "You're pretty too," she whispered. I grinned and gave her a kiss on the cheek before Jacie pushed her out of the way with arms wide open.

"Up!" She insisted. The last time the youngest one had seen me was when she couldn't walk, and now she seemed to be climbing on everything, including me. I swung her up into my arms and took them downstairs where Hiro and Spencer, who seemed to have taken control of my remote, were playing a very competitive minigame. I sat next to Hiro and Jacie clambered out of my lap onto her daddy's.

Hiro glanced at me in surprise at the sudden racket, and I shrugged. "I have a lot of family," I said.

"It isn't so bad, is it?" He asked, nudging my shoulder.

"Maybe I just struck it lucky this year," I grinned.

We all went to bed pretty late. After our game time, Hiro and I helped Mom pack the rest of the food and load it into the back of Dad's truck. We were going to my grandma's house for Thanksgiving this year; it was about a two hour drive, and I was getting pretty excited.

Hiro and I went back downstairs to set up his bed. I went to the linen closet and brought out a couple of heavy quilts. "It gets kind of cold down here at night; my dad likes to conserve energy or whatever. So here," I dumped them on the end of the couch. "Just in case."

"Thanks Melinda," he said.

"No problem. Good night."

"Good night," he said, and I closed the door before going down the hall to my bedroom. This entire vacation seemed unreal. I was here, with my family, having the time of my life. And Hiro was here. I closed the door to my room, turned on my lamp, and climbed into bed, marveling at how familiar my room was to me. I hadn't spent the night since summertime, so about three months, and it looked exactly the same. I'd taken a few of my books off of my towering bookcase for college, but other than that… I turned off the lamp and drew the covers over my shoulders, settling into a deep rest.

* * *

I woke up to someone rustling around in my closet. My eyes snapped open and I drew the covers over myself, fear making my chest thump. Light filtered in through my tiny window and I glanced at the clock. Almost nine. My closet door was slammed open and I turned on my lamp.

"Imagine my surprise when I found out I'd have to sleep on the floor upstairs," my brother Ky, said, not bothering to whisper.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked, my temper rising as the adrenaline from the fear ebbed away.

"I know you took my Ivison's t-shirt when I left, where is it?"

"I don't have it. Get out."

"Ah c'mon Lindy," he grinned, a glint of teeth shined in the morning darkness. It was because of him that I hated my nickname.

"Get. Out." I growled. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"So is he your boyfriend?" Ky asked, running a hand through his hair. "I couldn't get a good look at him, but he seems kind of short for your tastes."

I clenched my hands into fists. "Why are you even home?"

"Mom invited me," He sat on the end of my bed. "She's too nice for her own good."

"I thought you had a wife to take care of."

"Not anymore," he sighed, and stood up again. "She left after a few months."

"Typical Ky, you can't seem to keep your ladies."

"And yet they still want me," he leaned forward. "Anyways, I had to come on short notice, so I didn't bring anything to wear. Are you _sure_ you don't have that t-shirt?"

"No! Will you get out of here?!" I stood up and started to push him out of my room. "How many times does it take to get it through your head?"

"Probably two more times?" He grinned and took the door from me, shutting himself out. I leaned against the wall, my teeth grinding together. My brother infuriated me; he was always going through my stuff. I had to stop writing in a journal two years ago because I knew he was going to look through it.

There was a knock. "Go away Ky!" I yelled. "I don't want to talk to you this entire holiday, you hear? I'm not forgiving you for-"

There was a click, and Hiro stepped in, "The entire holiday? Come on," he smiled, trying to ease the tension of the morning.

I relaxed a little bit. "Sorry."

"No worries. Your mom was looking for you. We're supposed to leave in half an hour or so."

I cursed my late night, though not regretting it, and I pushed him out the door as well. "I'll be out in five minutes."

"I'll hold you to it," he laughed.

I got dressed in a deep red, long-sleeved shirt and some dark blue skinny jeans. I raked a brush through my crazy waves of brown hair and left the room for the bathroom, intent on putting on some makeup before leaving. Grandma always emphasized that one of the ways to respect people was by putting some time into your own appearance.

I stopped for a moment. It was Thanksgiving! I laughed, and finished up. "Is there any breakfast upstairs?" I asked Hiro.

"The French toast is probably still warm," he said. "I haven't eaten yet either. Woke up when I heard you yelling."

I flushed in embarrassment. Stupid brother. "Sorry about that."

"It's not the worst alarm clock."

Seeing my brother this morning was probably_ the _worst alarm clock. I sighed and sat at the dining table, picking out too pieces of toast, and smothering them in syrup.

We ate in, for the most part, silence. Mom walked in, a check list balanced on her arm. "Have you seen Austin?"

"He's here?" I groaned inwardly. Ky had a twin, the slightly nicer, barely older brother.

"He came in early this morning with Evie."

"Oh."

She walked out, tapping her pencil on the clipboard, and I finished up my breakfast. "You ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah, I packed up this morning."

"Good. I need to do that really quick, and then we can clean up your bed before we leave."

"Are you okay?" He asked suddenly.

I paused, cringing. I hated showing weakness in front of him. He'd seen me cry, but this was almost worse. Why had I brought him here? "I'm fine," I said quietly.

"Maybe you can tell me during the car ride?"

I looked up and saw the softness in his brown eyes. I nearly melted right then and there; he wanted to listen. Not even Sophie had wanted to listen, when she had the chance. Whenever I complained about my family, she tuned out, not that I could blame her. Eventually, I just stopped talking. I smiled slightly, brushing my hair away from my face. "Okay."

* * *

"Why can't he go with Austin?" My question was nearing toward a whine, and if I got any closer, I knew that I would be in trouble. "Please, Mom, you know how he is. I just… I can't spend the next 2 hours with him in an enclosed space." I paused, trying to think my way through the problem. "I have Hiro with me Mom, I don't want to lose my temper or… is there anything you can do?"

We were talking about Ky. Who else?

Mom's gaze softened. She knew I was desperate and hurting inside. She squeezed my shoulder, then tucked the wicker basket beneath her arm. "I'm sorry sweetie, your brother can't come with us because we have all of the food; he can't go with Austin, I'm more worried about those two together than you two. And Spencer has his family to take."

"How did he even get here?"

"I think he had a friend drop him off."

I sighed. "Do you think I should ask Austin-"

"Don't even think about it," Austin walked by the kitchen. "Just don't."

I was close to tears. "Please Mom?"

She shook her head. "I'll make it up to you, alright?"

I sucked in a breath. It was only a couple of hours. "Okay." Then, "Okay. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too Melinda," she squeezed my shoulder again, and settled the basket on top of the two coolers. Two whole coolers of food. One big dinner. At least I knew it was going to taste amazing. I went to my car, checked to make sure we had all of our bags, then climbed into the driver's seat. Hiro turned to me with a strained smile on his face. Ky was already in the back.

Maybe I could make this trip shorter by speeding a little bit. At least I'd have a reason. I pulled out of the driveway, the car in stony silence.

"You never told me you were dating a super genius," Ky spoke up, a smirk in his tone.

I glanced at him through the rearview mirror. How did girls fall for him? I guess he had looks, with his strawberry blond hair and bright blue eyes, but that smirk ruined it all. Even one day spent with him would drive anyone crazy. In 3 years, he'd managed to go through three wives. How he managed to get away with that was beyond me. The only reason I could think of was that because he'd managed not to get any of his wives pregnant, he hadn't bothered to tell the most recent one that he'd been divorced. There was a stronger word than _jerk_ for him, but since this is a professional assignment…

"I never tell you anything," I said sweetly. "And there's a reason for that."

"Ouch, little sister." Then he grinned. "At least he seems better than your last boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, give it a rest, it was high school."

Ky raised his eyebrows. "He was a ninny."

I wasn't going to deny that. I fiddled with the radio so that at least the silence could be filled with something. It was going to be a long couple of hours. Hiro glanced at me, then turned to address Ky. "Are you in school, or…"

"Nah, I dropped out of Ivison's a couple of years ago. I'm an entrepreneur now," Ky said proudly. "Have my own shop downtown."

"What do you sell?"

"Nerd merchandise," I put in. "And it stinks, which is why he's in debt."

"Hey, that's not fair! It just needs a platform first-"

"It stinks."

Ky glared at me. "Shut up. I'm doing alright."

"Only because of your wives' money," I knew that would hurt. "Your stuff is too expensive, even though it _smells_ cheap. If you want to be successful, lower your prices."

"If I do that, then I'll be out of business."

"What business?" I said scornfully. "You threw away a chance at a good career when you left school."

"You threw away a chance at anything when you chose to major in English," he shot back. This was a pretty normal argument for us, but it still hurt. "You only went to college to fish for men. Admit it."

My hands tightened on the steering wheel. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Not really."

_Keep your cool, Melinda,_ I told myself. We were near the halfway mark.

"That's why _I_ went to college," he paused, then grinned, a cocky, low-life grin. One I had grown terrified of through my junior high and high school years. "Isn't that why you dated the ninny?"

My eyes scrunched together, and my eyes stung. "That's not true. Not true at all," I gasped. Grayson Bell had been nice to me, kind. He'd been perfect. Until I realized that all he wanted was sex. I'm proud to say that I never gave it to him.

"Richest sophomore in school, most popular. Totally eligible. Perfect grades, second in his class, and only because he kept it that way… ooh, real bad," Ky rolled his eyes. "And a total. Player."

"All true," I huffed. I wouldn't let him win this. He was upturning bad memories I liked to keep buried, but I wouldn't let him win.

"Then you caught his eye, somehow; you, who was always totally under the radar. Wallflower extraordinaire," Ky drawled. "He asked you on a date. Because of a bet."

Imagine what I had felt when I found out. I was a bet, and an easy girl to please. I'd been easy. But not _that_ easy, at least. I'd learned my lesson and had managed to get through high school. Those years had been long. "Pray, tell me why you are bringing up such distant memories," I said airily. Ky could say what he pleased, I didn't have to care.

"Because, little sister, I think the reason you even considered someone like Bell was because of his status and his money. Otherwise, you were too good for the teenage population at our alma mater. Because, Lindy, you are just. Like. Me."

I stopped breathing for a second. A lump rose in my throat, and it burned. My hands turned white on the wheel. I was shaking, shaking with anger and fury, and something more. I didn't like what it was. My eyes saw nothing, and I realized that if I didn't pull over, I could put us in danger. So I pulled over, got out of the car, and started to walk. My fists were clenched and I heard his words over and over again. I wasn't just like him; we weren't even classified in the same universe. That incident had been _years_ ago. That had been a mistake, a bad one. A really bad mistake, but it was over now. I wasn't like him, I wasn't like him, I was _not_ like-

Arms wrapped around me from behind, and I stiffened.

"Don't listen to him," Hiro said softly.

I turned in his arms, and looked at him. He was so gentle, but I saw the anger in his eyes. Anger at me, or at _him_? But I felt his arms around me and I felt my bottom lip tremble, and the start of the tears fell on my cheeks. I buried my head in his shirt, my arms wrapping around his waist, holding him tight. Deep sobs wracked my chest, as my heart pounded with anger. "I hate him," I whispered. "I _hate_ him."

He shushed me, rubbing circles into my back, calming me down. After a little while, I stopped crying, and stood in his arms, enjoying the warmth. Eventually, I loosened my hold on him, and drew away. "I'm sorry," I said. "You always see me at my worst, don't you?"

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"I just… I just wanted to claw his eyes out or something. When he said what he did, I just lost it," I leaned into Hiro's embrace again. "He's tormented me for so long, but there's no way to stop it. He's my brother, I have to deal with it." My voice cracked, "But I'm so tired of this torture."

"I'm sorry. I don't pretend to understand, since my brother was my best friend, but I am sorry. You don't deserve to be talked to like that."

"I totally deserved some of it," I mumbled. "I was baiting him, trying to see if I could finally win an argument. He just uses everything against me."

"Still… If you hadn't pulled over, I would have jumped into the back and-"

"Don't interfere Hiro," I said firmly, looking directly into his eyes. "Please. If you do something, then he wins. No. I won't let him win."

"Okay then," he said softly, the anger seeping out of his eyes. "I won't."

* * *

**Phew. That took some energy to write, seriously. No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader, right? Well hopefully there was anger, no tears. Please please review! I take critique well, I promise! -Zaira**


	9. To Thine Ownself Be True

_I must apologize profusely for what I've done to you guys! It's been months since I have updated and I feel terrible. Well, now that it is summer, and I'm newly graduated, things might be easier. Or not. I have two job interviews in the next two days for my second job. Crossing my fingers it all works out. To make it up to you, I will be posting a new chapter tomorrow, before my interview. I'm freaking out. I have lots to do but it is so worth it! I love you guys so much, and I'm sorry you've had to bear with me._

_Gizmo: THANKS FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEW! I'm serious. I really thought about it for a long time, and I'll answer your question. You were wondering why Melinda thought the trip was going to be so bad, but she didn't know Ky was going to be there. Remember what Melinda said in the last chapter: "Maybe I just struck it lucky this year." When she got home and found that Ky wasn't there, she was happy, she thought she was lucky. :) I hope this helps! Also there will be character development, not so much in this chapter, but there will be lots in the next!_

_Thank you for all of your love guys, I really appreciate it. This isn't happening again, I promise. _

* * *

**_ To Thine Ownself Be True_**

We arrived at my grandma's house. It was more like a manor, actually. It was huge, tall and extremely wide, with fine white brick and lights in every window. The garage was unattached; it was where we all parked. Grandma insisted on _all_ of her family coming for Thanksgiving. We could miss Christmas, but we weren't allowed to miss Thanksgiving. Which is why about twenty different cars, old and new, big and small, were parked at various angles in what could be a parking lot.

Once I parked, Ky skipped out, not needing to grab an absent bag. I stayed in my seat for a moment, checking myself in the mirror. "I look terrible," I murmured to myself, stretching my puffy skin beneath my eyes. "Grandma isn't going to be happy."

Hiro made an impatient sound and I turned to him. "You look great," he said. "Let's go."

I sighed and nodded, locking my car door after we grab our luggage, and we headed toward the house. The door was flung open when the doorbell rang, and we were met with smiles and welcoming arms. I smiled warmly at my diverse group of aunts and uncles, cousins and everyone else. It wasn't a shock to see so many people here, but it was shockingly claustrophobic to have everyone squeezed into the same room. I held onto Hiro's arm so he wouldn't be stranded without me.

Kids ran past us, dodging our feet; adults mulled around with water glasses, mingling with the rest of the crowd. From the smell in the air, I could tell Mom was in the kitchen, already busy at work. I wanted to help her, I knew she needed the help, and from the look of the crowd, there weren't many volunteers at the ready, so I dragged Hiro into the kitchen. The air was cooler since someone had opened a window and there were a lot less people as well. Grandma was sitting in a chair, her small frame tucked gently against the padded cushions, and Mom was taking the temperature of the turkey in the oven.

"Come give your grandmother a hug, dear," Grandma said quietly, a smile creasing her face. I leaned down and put my arms around her, breathing in her familiar rose scent. "You've grown," she said proudly. Then she peered closer, "Have you been crying?"

"I'm okay, don't worry about it. I'm fine now." Mom glanced back at me, worried. I smiled wearily, and she went back to work.

"Who is this behind you?" Grandma asked.

I took a step back, "This is Hiro Hamada, a friend of mine who agreed to come with me this year." I smiled at him, and he smiled at my grandmother.

"It's nice to meet you," he said respectfully.

"And you," was her reply. She glanced at him over her glasses. "Such a respectful young man," then she sighed. "We don't have very many of those these days."

I nodded in agreement before turning to Mom, "Do you want any help?"

I could see she wanted to refuse, keep her pride about her. Taking care of Thanksgiving Dinner was something to be proud of in this family, but it was hard. I could tell from the way her brow was plastered with sweat, how her shoulders were hunched together in pain from the knot in her back Dad was always having to massage out. I could tell how stressed she was from the way her eyes kept flicking about, as if trying to remember a million things at once. And there was no one there to help her. Grandma could keep her company, but it had been years since she'd cooked a meal for herself. "Yes," Mom finally said, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Will you look over the rolls for me? They were having trouble rising earlier."

I nodded and peeked in the oven where the rolls were rising in the slight heat, "They look good to me, should I start the oven?"

"If you could?"

I didn't need to be asked twice. I turned the oven temperature up and stepped back. "What next?"

"The potatoes need to be peeled," she said.

There were around seventy to a hundred potatoes sitting on one side of the countertop. The job seemed hopeless. I dragged Hiro over to help, grabbing a couple of peelers on the way, and we got to work.

* * *

When we finished that, we went onto the fruit salads and numerous Jell-Os. Mom took care of the stuffing, the turkey, and the boiling of the potatoes. Dad checked in halfway through to see if she needed any help with the turkey. "Not for another hour," she told him, and he ducked out. He didn't mean to leave her stranded, but he didn't know squat about how to make anything except hamburgers and steak.

Hiro kept by my side the entire time, helping me and Mom through the entire process, answering nosy questions from my grandma, and poking fun at the Jell-O molds we were using. "Who does this?" He asked, poking at a rubbery mold. "Aunt Cass and I don't even have Jell-O for Thanksgiving. We just have Turkey, potatoes, and corn."

"The corn!" Mom gasped, and dashed to the cooler, bringing out all of the husks.

"Good going," I nudged his shoulder and he rolled his eyes at me. Soon, there was a large pile of corn leaves outside on the porch, and a vat of corn boiling on the stove. Hiro and I moved back outside to clean up our mess.

"This is crazy!" Hiro exclaimed when we were far enough away no one would hear and be offended. "You guys are insane when it comes to Thanksgiving."

I shrugged, "It seems pretty normal to me. Just louder than I'd like it to be."

He laughed, "Yes. Thank goodness for the kitchen."

"I love the kitchen," I proclaimed. "It's peaceful in there. Everything is in order. If we'd decided to go into the living room, like all of my other relatives, there would be no order. We'd be continually striving to please, having to make conversation, forcing laughter…" I groaned dramatically. "It's so exhausting."

He opened the back door for me, "I can tell."

I was already exhausted enough, just from helping my mom. I couldn't imagine what she was feeling right now.

When all that was left was to wait for the turkey, Hiro and I headed downstairs for a little rest. It was quieter; the kids were on the top level, all the adults upstairs. I collapsed on the couch. "Thank goodness," I moaned. My feet ached from standing up so long. My back ached from worry. I had more to thank than goodness. I'd have to do something for Mom later.

Hiro sat next to me, leaning his head back on the couch. "Have I mentioned that your family is crazy? I can't believe there was no one to help your Mom."

"They don't mean to leave her alone," I said delicately. "It's just that it's tradition, it's what's done. Everyone takes their turn. Mom doesn't have to do it for another five years now." I stood up. "I'll be right back, okay? I need to grab some homework, now that I have a little bit of free time."

"Homework? On Thanksgiving? C'mon, lighten up," he stood up and took a look through Grandma's treasure of Blu-Rays, Wii games, and whatever nonsense she'd collected over the years. By some miracle, all of her stuff worked, after all these years.

"I know, I know," I groaned. "But tomorrow, I'm going to be too tired and then I'll be driving the day after tomorrow."

"Why will you be too tired tomorrow?"

"Black Friday shopping," I grinned. "It's a tradition with all the ladies in my family." I skipped up the stairs and spotted our baggage by the front door, where we'd abandoned it like everyone else. I grabbed my backpack, slipped it over my shoulder, and went back downstairs, avoiding relatives and cousins as best as I could. "Here we go," I said, trying to keep positive. "You can watch something or play something if you want while I'm reading."

I settled next to him with _Hamlet_ in my hands, while Hiro flipped through channels on Grandma's cable network. I found my place and started to read.

* * *

I woke up with a start to the sound of cackling kids, their feet stomping down the stairs. I was groggy, but not as exhausted as I'd been earlier.

"Finished your cat nap?" I glanced at Hiro. He had my book in his hands, his fingers holding the worn pages down on his leg. It was then I noticed that his other arm was around my shoulder.

"How long have I been out?"

"Maybe twenty minutes or so."

"What are you doing with my book?"

"Reading."

I gasped melodramatically. "Since when can you do such a thing?"

He gave me an exasperated look.

"What part are you at?" I finally asked, tugging the book away and skimming the flowery language.

"Polonius is speaking to his son Laertes before he goes off… somewhere. 'To thine ownself be true,'" he seemed to muse. "It's actually pretty good advice."

I laughed. "I suppose so until you realize that Polonius is a total hypocrite, because he is not true to his own self. But yes, it is good advice. And the poor man did mean well."

"You've read it before?"

"Well, yeah. It's Hamlet. One of the greatest classics ever."

"Are you reading it for fun? You said you had homework."

"I'm reading it for analysis, unfortunately. I like to read something again if it's been a few years since I've read it. Refreshes my memory and all that."

"Yes you know every plot point."

I whacked his shoulder at his tone of voice. "But not every nuance."

"Nerd."

I straightened my legs and stood up off the couch. I held my hands out to him to help him out. "You just figured that out?"

He didn't answer, just grinned at me as I pulled him off the sofa.

* * *

_I'm sorry it's so short! I couldn't force it though, and the next chapter should be a bit longer. Remember, I'm updating tomorrow. I plan on finishing it before my interview. Whether that means updating before or after, I have no idea. Wish me luck!_


	10. Confidence

_Hi everyone! I did it! This chapters was SO much fun to write! I hope you enjoy reading it! Again, I want to apologize for how terrible I was in leaving you in the dust for 3 months or so. To make it up to you, I'm going to write another chapter by the end of next Monday! I'd forgotten how much I love writing Melinda's and Hiro's story :) I'm not going to forget again. And the good stuff is just starting! I hope you enjoy, I love you guys!_

* * *

**_Confidence_**

_Thanksgiving was usually a tough time for me, as you can easily infer, but with Hiro it became ten times better. With the exception of Ky, everyone was a lot nicer. My older sisters Julia, Kathy, and Chantelle actually talked to me. My aunts didn't criticize me at all._

_Yes, it was a nice change. Being the youngest adult was a pain because people are always expecting something from you. Now that something nice had suddenly happened to me, they either ignored me or praised me._

_Talk about surreal._

_Dinner was even more exciting._

* * *

The bell rang through the house. My mom would have a sore throat if she was forced to yell "Dinner time!" in this place. It usually took a good half hour to have everyone seated. The kids ate downstairs at a long table, while the adults sat at an even longer one, Grandma's fancy dining table. Not a scratch or dent in the surface, and she liked to keep it that way.

I sat next to Hiro, Ky sat across from me (to my chagrin). My aunt Carly sat next to me; she gave my hand a little squeeze before quietly asking how I was doing. She was always the nicest aunt I had. Grandma sat at the end of the table and called for peace, than a prayer. Before we were even allowed to touch the food, we took our turn saying one thing we were grateful for.

Carly beside me said she was grateful for humbling experiences. I wanted to ask her what she meant, but then it was my turn.

"I'm grateful for true friends," I said meekly. So much had changed over the summer. This time last year, I would be checking my phone every two seconds to see if Sophie had some witty or cutting remark about one of my relatives, or even a comforting word. She would never have joined me, that was certain.

I looked over at Hiro; it was his turn. He glanced at me quickly, his hand reaching for mine under the table and holding it gently. My heart started beating twice as quickly and my cheeks were probably blushing terribly. He said, "I'm grateful for a listening ear." And one of my uncles next to him took his turn.

Hiro squeezed my hand, and then didn't let go, his thumb softly stroking the back of my hand. I let my breath out, slowly, slowly. My heart was still frantic, but I got up the nerve to look Hiro in the eyes and smile. He mouthed the words _thank you_ and I mouthed them back, giving his hand a squeeze too. Before I realized what had even happened, our hands were happily intertwined.

Grandma's turn was very last, as was tradition, and she said with great gusto, despite her tiny frame, that always came as a surprise from me every year, "I'm grateful for my family." She said it every year, and no one else was allowed to say it.

Then it was time to eat.

The first ten minutes was busy silence as everything was passed around. I filled my plate, disappointed that to do that I had to let go of Hiro's hand.

When everyone was settled, the conversations began. Carly began to ask me how school was going and I answered as best as I could. One of my cousins sitting across the table began talking to Hiro.

"What about your roommates," Carly asked. "Are they treating you well?"

"Yes," I smiled. "They are all really sweet, even though they can be dramatic sometimes."

"Oh but you don't mind a little drama," Carly smiled. "Your being an English major and all."

I shrugged. "It's usually just nonsense. I try to stay out of it and focus on my studies."

"You're a good girl," she broke off a piece of her roll and buttered it. "And now I see you're meeting young men?" She nudged me gently in Hiro's direction.

I hoped I wasn't blushing. "I met Hiro during the summer actually, where I was working."

"The old ma and pa joint again?"

I rolled my eyes. Never again would I work there. "No, no, I worked as a janitor at SFIT down in San Fransokyo."

My cousin Jeff from across the table laughed, entering the conversation. "That's what happened! I was beginning to wonder when Hiro told me he was a professor there."

"Don't be ridiculous," I told him shortly. "I go to Ivison's, remember?"

"That's right. SFIT's not really your style."

"Well, I would rather read and teach English than touch the disaster that would be me and science," I glanced at Hiro and smiled. "So no, not really my style."

"I guess that means you would rather stay in fantasy-land than go out into the real world." That was from Ky. He wanted to pick a fight _now_?

I sighed inwardly. "Alas, college takes up most of my time Ky. If I'm not doing homework, then my roommates drag me into town whether it is grocery shopping or going to a movie." I smiled at Carly. "I'm the only one in my dorm who has a car."

"I'm sure that keeps you busy," she grinned.

"And it's been a while since I've read something classified as 'fantasy.' I loved the genre as a kid, but nowadays, I only have time for the books I have read for my classes. All of them are realistic to the time period, teaching you history and culture in a different time and place." I'd explained all of this to him before, but he liked to bring it up every once in a while.

"It's all an excuse," Ky said.

"An excuse for what? To learn? Reading heightens intelligence Ky, as well as compassion and empathy."

"It gives you an excuse to ignore everything around you. You are naïve, emotional, believing in false worlds and putting your trust in false people." He put on a smile. "When you were a teenager, you were always crushing on someone in a book. You never actually went out and dated."

My face burned, but I didn't let it bother me. "You don't _have_ to date in high school. I wasn't very popular and didn't know a lot of guys personally. I was shy and didn't have a lot of confidence in myself." And whose fault was that? Oh yeah. Ky's. "But that's not me anymore. I'm not a teenager, believe it or not."

He laughed once, silencing the entire room. "No you are not. But you still cling to your fantasies like a petty child."

I'd had enough.

I stood up, plate in hand. "Grandma, may I be excused to eat on the porch? I am being harassed and would like a chance to cool down."

My grandmother looked at me over her glasses. I adjusted mine, hoping she wouldn't see the desperation behind my eyes. I'd done well enough keeping calm, but if this went on any longer, there would be a great chance I would say something that I'd regret later. In high school, Sophie always told me that in an argument, the person who throws names first always loses. Ky had lost, and I would escape with my dignity.

She nodded, and I backed my chair up and walked through the kitchen, carefully balancing my still full plate in my hand, and opened the back door. Cool air whistled past me, and I shivered. I didn't mind the cold too much since I was wearing a heavy sweater, and at least the porch was dry. I sat down on the bench that sat against the dining room window. My family would be able to see me a little bit, but I didn't really care. I picked up my fork and took a bite of the still warm turkey while I watched snow fall into the grass.

It was beautiful, and for the first time since I'd arrived, I felt peace.

The door creaked open. I was half-expecting my mom to appear, or one of my aunts, but it was Hiro. I felt a little guilty at leaving him inside with my family. "Sorry about abandoning you in there."

"No big deal," he handed me a roll. "I grabbed another one of these for you so we don't have to go back inside." He sat down next to me and settled his own plate on his lap before looking down at me. "Are you okay?"

I didn't answer for a minute, then, "Yes. I'm okay."

"You're not even angry? After this morning, I was expecting- well, I don't know. I was hoping you wouldn't cry again but-"

I laughed. "Why waste my anger or tears on something so silly? Maybe I'm a little bit angry, but… not like before." I paused for a moment. "I don't know why. I feel like I should be, he was totally baiting me in front of my entire family, but I feel more at peace than angry. Maybe it's knowing that he's completely wrong about me."

"What do you mean?"

"So maybe I'm a little naïve, and maybe more than a little emotional, but is that a bad thing? I told him that reading has made me compassionate and empathetic; those are traits that I like having, even if they make me more emotional. Because of him, I always felt like I had to bottle up my feelings, so whenever I 'blew up' they were big meltdowns. He's never seen me free of restraint, where I can laugh and be happy, or be sad and cry without feeling like I'm going to be belittled in anyway.

"When I was a teenager, I really did cling to fantasy worlds, though I didn't _believe_ in them. Despite everything, I'm a bit of a realist, as well as an idealist. I see things how they are, but I want them to be better. I don't cling to fantasies like a petty child; I cling to hope like a human being like I should. I'm not as naïve as he thinks I am. I've seen what he does to people around him. I've seen him destroy his relationships. I don't want that.

"I want to be happy." I turned to Hiro. "I was thinking of what he said and I can't help but think that maybe I'm part of the reason Ky is always so angry."

"C'mon Melinda, that can't be true," Hiro chided.

"Let me explain," I said quickly. "When I was a kid, I loved to read. Obviously. In elementary and through most of junior high, reading came before everything else; grades, friends, Ky. I wanted more, couldn't help but have more every single day. Ky is the closest in age to me, by a few minutes, thanks to Austin, and maybe… maybe he felt ignored. He was nicer until he hit high school, that's when he started bullying me really badly."

"So he wants attention?" Hiro shook his head. "It's not a nice way to get it."

"Maybe not, but everyone needs some, don't they? Who knows, I could be completely wrong about this."

"I still want to throttle him for hurting you. Even though you aren't angry, _I_ am," Hiro shook his fist.

I laughed softly. "I think I just need to talk to him."

"Alone? Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Don't worry. His bark is worse than this bite. In an all-out fight, I can always beat Ky." I set my plate down, and took his hand. "You said you were grateful for a listening ear. You have been that and more, and I'm grateful to you for it." I was feeling more confident in myself than I had in a long while, so I kissed him on the cheek.

He totally blushed. It was adorable. "If that's how I get thanked, then call me anytime."

I laughed, "C'mon, let's put our dishes away and then we can go on a walk."

* * *

We walked down the road going away from my grandma's house, our hands swinging between us. After some friendly chatter, I asked the question I'd been dying to ask ever since he'd texted me last week. "So I know why you turned my Thanksgiving offer down the first time, but what changed your mind about-" I faltered. This was going to turn out sounding completely strange. "About your interest in me?"

"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow. He was totally bent on embarrassing me. I knew it.

"You could have gone to have Thanksgiving dinner with anyone else, but you asked me. And now you're holding my hand… you've been flirting with me all day, and all day yesterday. Don't think I haven't noticed. Not that I'm complaining or anything it's just… it's come on suddenly, that's all."

"I didn't flirt before?"

I thought about it. "Well... maybe a little."

"I've always liked you Melinda, but I wasn't really sure how you felt about me. There were times when we connected perfectly, and then there were timed where you distanced yourself from me."

I thought back on it and couldn't remember a time where I consciously distanced myself from him, but my mom was always telling me that I tended to keep myself at arms-length from people. It wasn't until I'd mentioned Thanksgiving the first time that I'd kept myself from him.

"Then I thought you'd been hurt by my rejection of your Thanksgiving invitation, so I figured that it probably wasn't really meant to be. Until you left for Ivison's. It was then that I realized how much a missed you, Melinda, but you were in school, probably meeting nice guys who had more in common with you than I did."

"Oh."

"Is that all you can say?" Hiro teased. "I just confessed my feelings and all you can say is 'oh'?"

"Well excuse me," I grumbled good-naturedly. "I missed you too. I just didn't think you were into girls who read for a hobby."

He let go of my hand and put that arm around my shoulders. He kissed my forehead. "I didn't even realized that I was into them until I met you."

* * *

_The rest of the day went kind of like that. Very mushy stuff. I felt like I was in heaven, a lot of it was a blur. We finally got our room assignments; Grandma makes a new one every year since there's always a new family member or someone gets married or whatever. She was kind enough to put my room next to Hiro's. Before I said good night…_

* * *

"Remember, I'm doing Black Friday shopping tomorrow morning. I think you'll be fine by yourself. There's always food in the kitchen and Grandma is generous in letting you use her dishes."

He gave me a quelling look. "You are not serious. You are leaving me alone in a house full of old guys and little kids. By myself."

"I'll be back around 1?"

"I'm coming with you. The thought of all of your uncles and your _father_ gathered in one place is terrified. I'm coming with you."

"I'm not sure your other option is great either. You'll be stuck with me, my mom, my sisters, and my aunts all morning."

"I'll be with you."

"We're waking up at 4. Don't wake up late or I will leave without you," I winked. "Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

_I hope you guys liked it! Please review! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!_


	11. Black Friday

_Once again, I'm sorry that I updated late. By a day, but still. I was sooo tired last night because I was babysitting my adorable cousins all day. It was so worth it. Anyways, I LOVED writing this chapter! It's mostly fluff and fun, but it was a lot of fun to right :) I think this was also the longest I've ever written a chapter. Though it's not that long. Oh well. Please review! I'd like some feedback on Hiro's characterization, am I doing alright? I feel like I am, better right now than in any other, but... feedback would be great. Thanks guys for being awesome!_

* * *

**_Black Friday_**

The first thought that went through my head when my alarm went off was _why do I do this to myself_? It was insane. And to be doing this to Hiro? Poor sucker.

I heaved myself out of bed, dressed in my warmest clothes, than knocked on Hiro's door. I heard some shuffling inside, a bang, and then the door creaked open. He was more mussed up than usual with dark circles underneath his eyes. "Ready?" I asked softly, my voice hoarse.

He nodded. I took his hand and led him upstairs where my sister Chantelle was already waiting. She nodded at me, "Are we carpooling?" She asked softly. Her lone voice seemed to echo through the house, bouncing off the smooth tile in Grandma's foyer.

I nodded. "We're going with Mom, Kathy, and Aunt Janelle."

She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I'm guessing that means I'm going with Julia and…"

"I don't know, they figured it all out last night without me."

"Oh right, you went on a walk." I could hear her smirk.

I rolled my eyes, even though I knew she wouldn't be able to see it. I leaned my head on Hiro's shoulder and waited for the rest of my family to appear.

"Are you sure we couldn't have woken up at five?" Hiro whispered in my ear.

I smacked his shoulder lightly, "They will be out in a minute. I don't know why they care about their appearance on a day such as this, but they do." I'd brushed my hair, barely, and pulled it into a high bun, tucking that into a warm hat. It wouldn't be much of a sight later, but by then, I'd be back in my sleep, fast a bed… or back in my bed, fast asleep…

Mom and Kathy appeared, and we sat in silence before Janelle finally arrived and we hurried to Mom's car. "You have everything?" Mom worried.

I checked for my wallet, and nodded. My sister and aunt did the same thing and we drove off towards town. It took a good twenty minutes before we arrived at a Barnabee's, the closest and biggest clothing/department store around. The crowds were suffocating when we entered the doors and Hiro's grip on my hand tightened as we made our way through, trying to follow my sister's bobbing ponytail. It had been cold, _freezing_, outside, but inside, I wanted to strip my extra layers off. Later, I told myself. Get through the worst of it first.

We meandered through socks, women's clothing and scarves (I picked out a warm one for myself), and electronics.

After what felt like hours but had only been half of one, Hiro and I stood to the side and waited for my relatives to finish up. "Are you getting anything else?" He asked. I was carrying the creamy green scarf and a movie.

I nodded. "I don't do a ton of shopping here."

"We're going somewhere after this?"

I smirked. "Sorry, we'll be heading for the mall after this?"

"Maybe we shouldn't have carpooled."

I laughed, agreeing. It was almost five in the morning and _I_ was already tuckered out. But no. I had some gifts to buy. "Probably."

* * *

The mall wasn't as busy Barnabee's, it never was. The deals weren't usually as fantastic, but there was a greater variety, and I relied on that. Mom and my sisters went to JCP and Hiro and I split up. When we got into the elevators, going down, I began to explain what we were going to do. "I need a present for my mom, one for my dad, and then one for my sister Julia's family."

"What are you looking for?"

"I have no idea."

"Ahh."

I gave him an annoyed look. "I've been thinking about it, but nothing really sounds good. So. We are going on a treasure hunt. Everything must be under ten dollars because I am a poor college student who can't afford any more than that."

Hiro raised an eyebrow. "Any hints?"

"Julia said a new card or board game would be fine for her family. Mom doesn't like anything that looks super expensive, and Dad… I am forever at a loss when it comes to buying my dad presents. I usually get him a gift card or something, but I want to be more creative. Up for a challenge?"

He grinned. "Let's get started."

* * *

_I wasn't expecting him to completely get into it. I was still half-awake, but his enthusiasm brought me out of it. Sometimes he would disappear and bring me things while I was browsing a shelf, my eyebrows scrunched together. He brought me a charm bracelet, a fancy scarf, and a novel for Mom. I declined all of them, but he didn't feel bad, just going straight back and looking for me._

_I found a tie for Dad that I wasn't sure about while Hiro found a snowflake kit (what was that anyways?), handcuffs, and a treasure box. His findings were getting weirder by the minute, but they surprised me in ways that I found I liked. Who would get their dad a treasure box? Maybe if I decorated it a little bit and put actual treasures in it…_

_I found the present for Julia's family. She had four little kids, all younger than nine, and so the squishy bubble creatures I found in the toy aisle were perfect. I slipped in a fast-moving card game into the mix for Julia and her husband. _

_What Hiro found for my mom was beyond perfect though. It was a little book with the title, _100 Reasons Why I Love You. _ It had prompts and blank spaces for _me_ to fill in why I loved _her_ so much. It was a little expensive but I wasn't letting go of it. I could sacrifice a little bit of my own Christmas money for my mom._

* * *

I was in a daze. It was seven o' clock in the morning and I was already done with my family shopping. What was I supposed to do now?

My stomach grumbled embarrassingly enough. Hiro grinned at me, "I'll buy you breakfast." We headed for the food court and sat down next to a smoothie shop. "Do you want anything in particular?"

"Is there anything with peaches?" I asked.

"I'll go look." He stood up and was back in a couple of minutes with two smoothies; he sat an orange-colored one in front of me. "Peach, banana, and raspberry for you."

I took one sip and closed my eyes, savoring it. It was sweet and tangy, surprising my taste buds and waking me up a little bit more. I leaned my head on hand, my elbow on the table, and took small sips. "What's yours?" I asked.

"I don't remember what it's called, but it has blackberries, strawberries, and something else… can't quite recall…"

"Does it taste good?"

He smiled, and handed me his smoothie cup. "See for yourself."

I took a little sip and sank back happily, "Yummy." I handed his cup back to him.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying our breakfasts. Hiro spoke up first, "I believe this could be counted as our first date."

I thought about it for a minute. "I suppose it could count," I teased.

"And I suppose you taking my smoothie could count as our first kiss, though indirect…" His grin mirrored my goofy smile and I burst out laughing.

"I see you're trying to be _smooth_ Hamada," I grinned, pun completely intended," but I haven't thought about anything like that since _elementary_."

"I must be doing something right, you are totally blushing." He reached for my hand and took it.

He was right. This conversation had turned completely absurd; I was laughing at its ridiculousness, but it was also making me blush like crazy. _He_ was making me blush like crazy.

"Of course I can show you what a _direct_ kiss is like," he said softly, a joking lilt to his voice, but I knew he was being serious. He drew closer, leaning across the table and my heart quickened, wondering what I should do. I could meet him right in the middle, make this day perfect…

Or I could effectively stop the kiss by taking a sip of my smoothie before Hiro could close his eyes and make this even more awkward. He furrowed his brows, and pulled back slowly, slightly confused.

"I have a rule," I began. I could _still_ feel myself blushing, the warmth making my glasses slide down my nose a little bit. I could do this. I turned my voice warm and teasing, "I have a rule that says that I can't kiss on _first_ dates, Hiro. And since this one counts as our _first_ date, you will have to wait for the next one."

He raised an eyebrow, "So does that mean there will be a second one?"

I laughed in surprise; he was a flirt all the way through. "Yes. There better be a second one because now I owe you a kiss." I winked and stood up to throw away my empty smoothie cup.

* * *

With the last of my Christmas budget, I bought myself two warm, long-sleeved shirts. It took me a little bit longer to find what _I_ wanted than it had taken to figure out what I should get my family. That was only because I'm a bit of a tight-wad and when I spend money, I want to spend it perfectly. Call me crazy, but I hated regretting purchases.

I dragged Hiro through the women's sections, trying on a few sweaters at a time, boring the poor guy to near tears. I felt bad, but he had signed up for this on his own accord. I'd tried to warn him, to no avail.

"What do you think of this purple one?" I asked, picking at the hem.

He looked up from his phone where he was playing some version of Bejeweled. "I like the color. Aren't you going to be cold if you bend over though? It looks a little short."

"That's what I thought," I murmured. What was with sweaters being so short? No one wanted their back bare in the winter time. At least, no one I knew. I slipped back into the dressing room and heard him sigh. "I'm almost done," I reassured him.

"Take your time," he said.

He was sweet _and_ patient with me. I smiled and tried on a dark red cable-knit sweater. It was a lot longer, enveloping me in warmth. It was comfortable. I looked in the mirror; it looked fantastic on me, very form fitting. I exited the dressing room. "What about this one?"

He glanced up, definitely not expecting it because he did a double-take. "Wow. I've never thought sweaters were particularly sexy, but sheesh Melinda. That's a nice color, too."

"That's what I thought," I said, immensely pleased with his reaction. "I don't have a lot of red in my closet."

"You look beautiful."

I wanted to kiss him right then, but I turned to go inside the dressing room instead. "Thank you," I said softly.

* * *

After I finished up, we went looking for my mom. When we found her and asked her if she was getting close to being done, she just laughed and shooed us off. "Nowhere near," she said, and went back to browsing the racks.

I groaned and we exited the clothing store. "Well, I don't know what to do now. We're pretty much stranded until someone finishes up."

"How about a little window shopping?" Hiro asked. I could see how tired he was; I'm sure my own expression mirrored his, but I nodded wearily and we started to walk around, peering into different shops. I was without money, so I wasn't really interested in looking anymore, but Hiro pulled me around, his enthusiasm masking his sleepiness.

We walked into lotion shops, mug shops, an Asian outlet, some more clothing, and by the end of it, we both collapsed onto a sofa tucked into a corner of the mall. It was amazing that it wasn't occupied by the few husbands and dads who'd been dragged along for the morning.

Hiro deftly tucked me into his side, arm around my shoulders, hand rubbing my arm in soothing strokes. "So you do this every year?"

"Every year since I was twelve."

"Wow."

"Does Cass shop on Black Friday?"

He shook his head. "She has to wake up at four anyways to set up the café. I think she takes advantage of Cyber Monday though."

I chuckled, laying my head on his shoulder. "That's smart of her. Thanks for helping me find gifts for my family. Sorry I such a pain."

"You weren't a pain. It was a little boring, but I can handle it. I have to deal with young adults nearly every day of my life, and that's pretty boring. I get worried if it gets interesting."

I nodded, smiling. I was falling asleep on his shoulder, though I didn't want to. I wanted to talk to him, listen to his voice, and feel his warmth around me. I snuggled deeper into his side. "How have you managed not to have a girlfriend by this time?" I asked out of pure curiosity.

"I see we are both asking awkward questions today."

"At least we're both straightforward," I poked him in the chest. "You don't have to answer the question."

"I've dated here and there, but haven't really found someone who interested me."

"That sounds surprisingly rude coming from your mouth," I said. "Even though I know it wasn't meant that way."

"Would you date someone you weren't interested in?" He asked, teasing me. "All the women I dated found me at the café since I won't date anyone who goes to SFIT. They were full of themselves. No personalities."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "First dates don't often mean much."

He brought his free hand to his heart. "You wound me, Melinda."

"Hey, that's why I don't kiss on the first date." I took his hand and curled my fingers around his. "Why don't you date anyone at SFIT?"

"All the girls my age are my students."

"Oh. Yeah, I could see how that would be a problem."

He laughed. "Outside of school, I don't meet a lot of people."

"Well then, I guess it's lucky you met me," I closed my eyes and basked in his smile.

* * *

I didn't mean to fall asleep.

I woke up when my mom tapped my shoulder, smiling at me and telling me it was time to go. I checked my phone. It was almost noon. We'd been on that sofa for four hours or so. I snuck a side-long glance at Hiro who yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Talk about a crick in my neck," he muttered. His brown eyes fluttered open and I stood up, taking his arm and tugging him up beside me.

"You okay?" I asked, my hand going up to massage his neck.

"Fine," he bent down and kissed my forehead. "Is it time for lunch?"

"I think so. You want to go home for lunch?"

"If we go out, does that count as our second date," his eyes lit up with a lazy smile.

I shook my head, "You're not paying for my breakfast and lunch," I said. "Let's go home, you need a nap."

"I just had one, _mother_."

My phone buzzed. Chantelle had sent me a picture. I clicked on it and my eyes widened in surprise. It was a picture of Hiro and me on the sofa, curled up against each other, sound asleep. It had been taken at around 8 this morning. I blushed when Hiro took my phone and looked at it.

"Aw, we look so cute together," he teased. "Fine, we can go home for lunch."

I sighed in relief. I'm not sure I could bear listening to my aunts gossip of Chantelle had shown them this picture. We ran to catch up with my mom.

* * *

_I'll have the next chapter out in a couple of days! I already started on it. It was going to be a part of this chapter, but I decided to split it up. Remember to review! You guys are the best- Zaira_


	12. Midnight Friday

**_Well, it certainly took me longer than two days to write this. It took me forever. But I did it! A lot of this is just fluff, but it adds a little bit of character for Melinda, I think. I have just started college so I probably won't be able to post weekly, but I'll try to keep on top of it all. Wish me luck!_**

* * *

After we ate lunch, we went to our separate rooms to take a more comfortable nap. Or at least, I _tried_ to take a more comfortable nap, but all I managed to do was stare at the ceiling and glare at the light coming in through the curtains.

After a half hour of this, I finally got out of bed and went upstairs. A lot of the men were watching a football game while the women were gathered in Grandma's fancy parlor. I sat on the ground, listening to the different stories my aunts and various other female relatives had to say about their morning. My sister Julia beckoned me over. I sat down next to her and she smiled. "I saw the picture Chantelle took. How was your morning?"

Silence filled the room after her question. They had noticed me. I blushed and took my glasses off, rubbing them absentmindedly on my shirt. "I… well I… had a good time."

"Did he buy you anything?"

"Just breakfast," I muttered. "Sheesh Jules, we're just friends."

She snorted, hiding her smile behind her hand. "Right."

"We had our first date today, nothing else has really happened. We went shopping, I bought my family gifts, bought myself a couple of shirts, then we accidentally fell asleep on the couch talking," I explained quickly.

"What were you talking about?"

I had to stretch my memory. What _had_ we been talking about?... "School, shopping. His aunt."

That seemed to bore them because my aunt Emily across the room asked, "Is he coming to the dance tonight?"

My weary brain struggled to figure out what she meant by that. Dance? What was she talking ab—Oh. The Midnight Friday dance held in town. The family was expected to go every year in best dress. I even packed for it and everything. It was a funny tradition, set up by the city when my grandma was a teenager. You were expected to be there at five o' clock _sharp_, in formal wear, and it was considered rude to leave before one a.m. There was a large dinner (yes, the day after Thanksgiving), and then a night of dancing afterwards. It was nowhere near like what the high schools or even the colleges did for dances, since it was put on by the conservative city council. Not that I was complaining. The music was _always_ better.

I'd forgotten to tell Hiro.

"I—um, probably not. He doesn't have anything to wear," I said.

Grandma spoke up. "I might have something he could borrow."

My mind instantly went to an old, hokey tux from the 1990's, when my grandparents were teenagers. Or even worse, one from the 2030's when around Grandpa had died. I seriously doubted she had anything that would fit Hiro properly. "That's okay Grandma, I could probably borrow a suit from Ky."

"Ky didn't bring anything," Mom reminded me unhelpfully.

I gave her a look. She ignored me.

"Give your grandmother a hand, sweetheart, and we'll see," she saw right through my deception and I was instantly guilty.

"Okay," I said, and helped my grandma out of her chair and up the stairs to her bedroom. She was 80 years old and still able to walk up and down stairs, it was a miracle.

She rifled through the contents of her huge closet and came upon a clothing bag. She unhooked the hanger from the rod and put it on her bed, unzipping the bag. Out came soft black fabric that was stiff but supple to the touch. There were no tears, no snagged threads. It looked brand new.

"It's not a tuxedo," my grandmother said softly, "but it's close enough. Your grandfather wore it to one of our high school reunions some years back; he never put it back on, but I'd always liked the look of it. Mr. Hamada looks like he could fill it out nicely."

I stroked the suitcoat. "It's beautiful. Are you sure? I don't want it to get dirty."

"It needs to be used, my dear. Take it."

I lightly embraced my grandma and heaved the bag over my shoulder. "Hiro will take good care of it."

"He better. Now help me back downstairs," she put her hand on my arm and we made our slow way back to the parlor.

I hurried downstairs with the suit and hung it on my closet door. I assumed Hiro was asleep since he hadn't come out of his room yet and I didn't want to wake him. It was my fault that he was so tired anyway.

When I went to leave, carefully shutting my door, I turned and found my three sisters surrounding me.

"We want to help you get ready for the dance tonight," Chantelle spoke first.

* * *

_First of all, my sisters and I aren't very close. I know there are some families where sisters are very tight, the best of friends forever, but they are a lot older than me and married. They have their own lives. I've always been closer with my parents than my siblings._

_When I have spoken to my sisters, they compliment but criticize me. They try to give me advice on dating and boys, but it's been quite a few years since they've done anything like that so… you can see the problem right, Ms. H?_

_But then I see the look in their eyes and the hope that I will finally be married and happy like they are, that I will understand them. All they want to do is help._

_All I think is _I'm not ready for marriage. _Then, _who knows.

_All I can do is let them take over._

* * *

I tried to put them off for about a minute, my only argument being, "We have four hours!"

The three of them just sat me down on a bar stool and made me close my eyes. And they made me talk.

"What's he like?" Chantelle's giggle made me glad that I'd heard the door click shut.

I raised an eyebrow. "What does he like or what is he like?"

"What is he like," Julia corrected for her. "I know he's smart, his intelligence practically rolls off of him, but is he funny?"

I felt the _snip-snip_ as scissors trimmed my ends. I opened my eyes in protest, "Kathy no! I've been growing it out!"

She pulled me back, "I'm only cutting off the dead ends, settle down! Sheesh!"

"Not too short," I mumbled.

"Of course not. Well? What is he like?"

"He makes me laugh," I admitted. "He listens to me and-"

There was a knock on the door. "Is Melinda in here?" Speak of the devil and he'll appear.

I spoke over my giggling sisters, "Yeah."

"Everything all right in there?"

I raised an eyebrow at myself in the mirror. "Give me another half hour and I'll tell you."

* * *

An hour later, I'd told them everything I knew about Hiro and they'd finished my hair, make-up, and nails. I felt kind of silly with my bouncy hair and elegantly lined eyes but… I liked it. The deep red lipstick was a nice touch. My sisters opened the door and we found Hiro sitting on the ground, swiping at something on his phone screen. Oh no. He'd probably heard all the gossip. I could feel the creep of a blush coming on.

How long had he been waiting for me? He'd checked in at the 30 minute mark, but other than that, I thought he'd disappeared upstairs. A slow smile crept on his face when he saw me. "You have any plans tonight?"

I wanted to smack him for saying something so dastardly in front of my siblings. That and the way he was looking at me.

"I forgot to tell you about a tradition we have in the family—er town, I suppose." I explained about the dance and showed him his suit since I'd figured right that he didn't have one handy. "We still have a couple of hours until it actually starts, so you don't have to get ready just yet."

He pulled one of my curls and watched it bounce. "That didn't stop you," his eyes met mine and my blushing heightened.

"That didn't stop my sisters, you mean. And I'm not ready; I don't have my dress on yet."

"Melinda!" My mom called for me from the top of the stairs.

"What?" Hiro followed me to the bottom of the stairs.

"Can you do me a quick favor?" She went on without my consent. "I need you to run to the store and grab me some things. Mom completely forgot that she was supposed to make two large salads this year. How she forgot I don't know but-" She sighed and handed me a list. "Luckily a Caesar will do just fine. Please?" She looked so tired, I couldn't say no.

I grabbed my keys and shoved the shopping list into my purse and Hiro and I drove to the nearest supermarket. "Romaine, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, croutons, Caesar," I muttered under my breath. "They shouldn't be too far apart from each other."

We walked quickly, Hiro carrying a basket, to the produce section. "Found the romaine," he called out. "How many bags do we need?"

"Oh shoot, I don't know," I stood next to him, holding up two bags. "Maybe two will be enough? Oh but Mom said that it two large salads, so…" I trailed off when I saw someone I knew standing across the aisle. I looked back down quickly, holding myself rigid. "Four bags? No, no, maybe three will be enough." I looked up at Hiro quickly then scrabbled through my purse for my phone. "I'll just call Mom and see what she thinks."

Warm hands encircled my arms and I looked up at Hiro. "What's wrong?" He asked quietly.

"It's noth-" I realized that keeping him in the dark would be no good, especially if _he_ came over, which he would the moment he saw me. "It's my ex-boyfriend standing over there."

His hands slid down until they enclosed over my hands. "And that makes you nervous?"

I bit my lip. It shouldn't. I really shouldn't give a crap. I was stronger than this. I nodded.

He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. "You are a beautiful, fearless woman. He doesn't deserve you. Plus I'm here, what could go wrong?"

I smiled up at him. Did I deserve him? "Thank you."

He just shook his head at me and slung his arm over my shoulder. "I think I saw the tomatoes over here, and the Caesar thataway."

I kept on smiling and put an arm around Hiro's waist as we passed _him_. I froze the moment he lifted his gaze and saw me. My smile slipped for an instant and I made to silently pass him, ignoring him completely, but he grinned. "Lindy!"

There were many reasons I despised that name. He was one of them. Of course he wouldn't let me pass, he didn't seem to feel awkwardness when it weighed on others like a bag of bricks.

"Gray! Hi!" I sounded far too enthusiastic for my tastes.

"How have you been doing? You went to Ivison's right? What brings you up here?"

"Family reunion for Thanksgiving. What about you?"

"Same kind of thing," his eyes swept over me and it didn't feel as great as when Hiro had done the same thing earlier. "You're looking good."

I was very aware of Hiro next to me, stiffening slightly. "Well, thanks."

"And who is this?"

I glanced up at Hiro. His eyes were stormy, though his mouth was screwed up in a slight smile. "This is Hiro Hamada."

Gray raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I've read about you in the papers, I believe. One of the top professors at SFIT, right?"

"Right. And who might you be?"

"This is Grayson Bell," I stepped in. "We went to high school together."

They both muttered _good to meet you_'s and then Gray started talking again, "How have you been these past couple of years?"

"Fine. Being away from high school is the best part." Yes, that was meant as a jab.

As usual, it went right over his head. "When did you two meet? Being at two different schools and all."

I couldn't believe that we were still standing here. "We met during the summer."

"Really? For such a short time, you two seem pretty serious," he grinned as if he'd made a joke. "And how did you manage to find such a celebrity, Lindy? I didn't think science nerds were really your type."

I felt the anger in me flare, though I tried to stay polite. As if cocky rich boys had ever been my type. The man by my side was the only reason I didn't completely snap. "That's really none of your business, Gray." I turned to Hiro. "I think you're right Hiro, the tomatoes _are_ over there, and I see the Caesar…" I dragged Hiro away without another glance at Grayson Bell.

We ducked around the corner and Hiro started to laugh. "Is that guy for real? What kind of person…" He trailed off when he saw my expression. "Right. The tomatoes."

We got out quickly and when we were safely in the car, I started to breathe normally again. "I'm sorry you had to see that, and that you had to talk to him and that he-"

"Don't apologize for him. He's an idiot. Like I said, he didn't deserve you."

"Gray was a jerk. He made my high school years miserable. Yes, he was my boyfriend, and when I finally broke up with him—it was like he couldn't take a hint! I finally left for Ivison's and I was so relieved!" At this point I knew I was babbling but I had to make Hiro _see_. "I started dating again and after some time I realized that he had left me with some serious trust issues. He had me hooked around his finger for too long, wondering if he really liked me, wondering if he hated me, and… but I'm over that now. You can see that right?"

Hiro nodded slowly.

"I trust you. I don't base my emotions on if I think you're mad at me or happy with me. Not like I did with him. I may still be nervous around him but it's only because… because I feel ashamed at myself for not seeing what I see now. And the awkwardness. More than anything I hate how awkward it all is."

He nodded again, not saying anything.

"I don't want to talk about him anymore, okay? He's in the past. That was a bad time for me. This is the present."

"Well I should hope we're not time-travelling," he quirked.

I cracked a smile, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. "You are the best."

"I know. Let's go."

* * *

We got home, gave the salad stuff over to my mom, and we headed downstairs to get ready for the dance. I handed over the suit to Hiro and then closed my door, opened my closet, and slid my dress off of its velvet hanger. I sighed in wonder.

It was a deep purple evening dress with long sleeves and a skirt that swished all the way down to my ankles. It was simple with no decoration, but it managed to accentuate my curves. I tugged my black boots on.

There was a knock on my door, "May I come in?" Hiro turned the knob when I said yes and swung the door open.

He took one look at me and said, "I believe I've told you how beautiful you are twice today, so I'm going to change it around a bit." He took a step closer. "You look stunning. How am I supposed to compete with the other men who will be there tonight?"

I grinned and straightened his lapel, "It helps that you look pretty amazing yourself." And wow, did he ever. The suit looked a little big, but he wore it well. "Do you mind helping me with this?" I picked up a white crystal-beaded necklace and turned around, holding the ends toward him.

He was gentle as he pulled my hair through the necklace and settled it over my collarbone. "So does this count as our second date?"

I shook my head, laughing softly. "This is a community thing Hiro; we're all expected to go."

"Doesn't mean I can't bring a date."

I leaned in closer, "You didn't exactly ask me out."

"You're really making this difficult, aren't you?" He tugged me out the door.

"It only makes you want it more," I said slyly.

* * *

"It's outside?" Hiro's eyebrows knit together. "But it's freezing. It snowed today!"

"But it didn't stick," I reminded him. "It starts off kinda chilly, but it gets a lot better the longer you stay." The party planners always hooked up heaters to the various outlets during the first couple of hours, but after the dancing got started, they were taken away, not given another thought.

Every year I wished for snow, and every year it never came, or it always melted. Still, the huge pavilion the dance was held under was lit up beautifully in glorious Christmas colors. The bedazzling was blinding if you focused on the dark sky outside for too long.

We found the table our family was sitting at. Hiro pulled out a chair for me and I sat down, huddling into my fluffy coat. I would take it off later. I always did. I couldn't wait to push away the tables and feel the music fill my veins and…

My throat clogged up as I remembered the last party I'd been to. I remembered Sophie's leering voice and her awful comments. I remembered my tears and… the flying trip Hiro had taken me on that night to help me feel better. I took his hand under the table and squeezed it.

He smiled at me and squeezed back.

Dinner began moments later.

* * *

_Every year is a little different. Sometimes I would dance with all of my uncles and cousins, sometimes I would go off by myself. One year all of my aunts made a huge circle and showed off their moves. It was terrifying. There was one guy I would dance with every year, since that was the only time I would ever see him. When I was younger, I would fantasize about him sweeping me off his feet and making me his wife someday. I never remember his name._

_He didn't have anything on Hiro. To be honest, that night is a total blur. Too much punch maybe, or maybe it was the volume of the music, but I remember little snippets, and he was always there. Whether I was slow-dancing in his arms because neither of us could really dance, or whether he was making a total nut of himself, he was always in reach. His brown eyes were on me and I wanted to melt into them. The lights made me giddy beyond reason, but I remember his laugh right next to my ear, his steady arm around my waist, and that smile that lit me up like a thousand bulbs._

* * *

"You brought someone tonight," my mystery man said.

I nodded, feeling guilty about the one dance I was making Hiro sit out. "I did."

He twirled me around. "Must be a special one."

"Yeah," I smiled, letting a calm settle over me the first time that night.

"I'll let you in on a secret," he leaned forward. "I brought someone too."

"Why's that a secret?" I asked conspiratorially."

"Because I'm thinking of marrying her," he grinned when he saw my shocked face and then let me go when the song ended. "See you around. Maybe."

* * *

_I remember that moment and the moment Hiro took my hand again, asking me who he was. I remember explaining, though I don't remember my own words. The rest of the night was blur of words and laughter._

_I don't remember the drive home. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was closing my door shut, stumbling into my pajamas, and falling face first into bed._

* * *

A soft, warm hand cupped my cheek and my eyes opened slowly. "Hmmm?" It was still dark outside, but I could see a faint outline of the person above me because of a light shining through my window. I struggled to lean on my elbow and glanced at the time. It read 5:32.

"Shhh, it's just me," Hiro whispered. He reached over and turned on the lamp.

I blinked hard, trying to adjust again, and when I could finally see, I realized that Hiro was fully dressed, and that his suitcase was behind him. "What's going on?" I asked.

He grimaced, "I just got a call from Reese. He's in some kind of trouble and I need to go fish him out. I'm sorry that I have to leave early."

I sat up fully and rubbed my eyes. "I guess you won't be back?"

"Probably not."

"Well, I forgive you anyway. Call me when you get finished, okay?"

"Of course," he quirked a smile. "Then I'll take you out on our date."

I could already feel myself drifting off again, so I swung my legs out of bed, but Hiro stopped me with his hands on my shoulders. "Don't; I'll let myself out. Reese is sending me a ride." He bent down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "See you soon."

"Okay," I whispered, swinging myself back under the covers as he turned off the lamp. "See you soon."

* * *

_**Tell me what you think! And forgive me for updating so late. -Zaira**_


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